Korean J Anesthesiol.  2018 Apr;71(2):103-112. 10.4097/kjae.2018.71.2.103.

Introduction to systematic review and meta-analysis

• Ahn E
• Kang H

• KMID: 2411217
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2018.71.2.103

Abstract

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses present results by combining and analyzing data from different studies conducted on similar research topics. In recent years, systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been actively performed in various fields including anesthesiology. These research methods are powerful tools that can overcome the difficulties in performing large-scale randomized controlled trials. However, the inclusion of studies with any biases or improperly assessed quality of evidence in systematic reviews and meta-analyses could yield misleading results. Therefore, various guidelines have been suggested for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses to help standardize them and improve their quality. Nonetheless, accepting the conclusions of many studies without understanding the meta-analysis can be dangerous. Therefore, this article provides an easy introduction to clinicians on performing and understanding meta-analyses.

Keyword

Anesthesiology; Meta-analysis; Randomized controlled trial; Systematic review

MeSH Terms

Anesthesiology
Bias (Epidemiology)