The suboptimal methodological quality of non-Cochrane reviews on hyoscine butylbromide to shorten labor duration raises concerns about their conclusions: a meta-research study.
Loukia M Spineli, Anna Bludau, Patricia Könneker et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-research study evaluated the methodological quality of one Cochrane and seven non-Cochrane systematic reviews on hyoscine butylbromide (HBB) for shortening labor duration. The analysis revealed that all non-Cochrane reviews had critically low overall confidence according to the AMSTAR 2 tool, raising concerns about their reliability. In contrast, the Cochrane review was rated moderate quality.
Key findings
- All non-Cochrane reviews had critically low overall confidence according to AMSTAR 2.
- More than half of the critical domains in non-Cochrane reviews were rated flawed.
- The Cochrane review was rated moderate quality, with exemplary conduct apart from synthesis methods.
- The overlap among non-Cochrane reviews exceeded 20%, indicating redundancy in data.
Why it matters
The findings highlight significant concerns regarding the reliability of non-Cochrane reviews on HBB, which may influence clinical decision-making in labor management. Clinicians should be cautious when interpreting these reviews due to their methodological shortcomings.