Table 2 Results of meta-analyses with and without Non-English studies

 Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold (CD000980)

29

26

10.3

11306

10899

3.6

0.95 (0.92, 0.98)

RR

0.96 (0.93, 0.99)

1.1/0.0

Negligible

 Epinephrine for bronchiolitis (CD003123)

6

5

16.7

995

965

3.0

0.67 (0.50, 0.89)

RR

0.68 (0.51, 0.91)

1.5/2.6

Negligible

 Procalcitonin to initiate or discontinue antibiotics in ARI (CD007498)

14

13

7.1

4211

4168

1.0

0.91 (0.70, 1.19)

OR

0.90 (0.69, 1.19)

1.1/2.0

Negligible

 Immunostimulants for preventing ARI in children (CD004974)

35

23

34.3

4060

2866

29.4

−1.24 (−1.54, -0.94)

MD

−1.27 (−1.57, −0.96)

2.4/1.7

Negligible

 Bronchodilators for bronchiolitis (CD001266)

24

23

4.2

1182

1149

2.8

−0.45 (−0.96, 0.05)

MD

−0.41 (−0.97, 0.14)

8.9/9.9

Small

 Glucocorticoids for croup (CD001955)

14

13

7.1

1031

998

3.2

−0.59 (−0.83, -0.35)

SMD

−0.65 (−0.89, −0.41)

10.1/0.0

Small

 Azithromycin for acute lower respiratory tract infections (CD001954)

15

14

6.7

2496

2446

2.0

1.09 (0.64, 1.85)

RR

1.03 (0.60, 1.78)

5.5/2.5

Small

 Systemic corticosteroids for acute sinusitis (CD008115)

4

2

50.0

869

459

47.2

1.40 (1.08, 1.81)

RR

1.18 (1.05, 1.34)

15.7/60.3

Moderate

 Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis (CD000247)

6

5

16.7

1047

979

6.5

0.95 (0.59, 1.51)

RR

1.11 (0.70, 1.76)

16.8/15.2

Moderate

 Acetylcysteine and carbocysteine for acute upper and lower RTIs in paediatric patients without chronic broncho-pulmonary disease (CD003124)

3

0

100

139

0

100

−0.05 (−0.12, 0.02)

RD

NA

NA

Substantial

 Chinese medicinal herbs for influenza (CD004559)

2

0

100

197

0

100

1.32 (0.87, 2.00)

RR

NA

NA

Substantial

 Vaccines for preventing malaria (CD006198)

3

2

33.3

307

237

22.8

1.05 (0.82, 1.35)

RR

1.05 (0.82, 1.35)

0/0

Negligible

 Probiotics for treating acute infectious diarrhoea (CD003048)

35

34

2.9

4555

4414

3.1

−24.76 (−33.61, −15.91)

MD

−25.53 (−34.58, −16.49)

3.1/1.1

Negligible

 High first dose quinine regimen for treating severe malaria (CD003341)

3

2

33.3

144

72

50.0

0.62 (0.19, 2.04)

RR

0.43 (0.09, 2.05)

30.7/5.9

Large

 Oral versus intravenous rehydration for treating dehydration due to gastroenteritis in children (CD004390)

18

15

16.7

1811

1436

20.7

0.04 (0.01, 0.07)

RD

0.02 (0.00, 0.04)

50.0/33.3

Large

(with change in statistical significance)