Hemolysis and cardiopulmonary bypass: meta-analysis and systematic review of contributing factors

Table 3 Summary of findings of published studies comparing plasma free hemoglobin (PFHb) between pulsatile and non-pulsatile

Pulsatile compared to non-pulsatile in cardiac surgery patients underwent CPB
Outcomes	№ of participants (studies) Follow-up	Certainty of the evidence (GRADE)	Relative effect (95% CI)	Anticipated absolute effects
Outcomes	№ of participants (studies) Follow-up	Certainty of the evidence (GRADE)	Relative effect (95% CI)	Risk with Non-Pulsatile	Risk difference with Pulsatile
Plasma Free Hemoglobin	204 (5 RCTs)	⨁⨁⨁⨁ High	–	The mean plasma Free Hemoglobin was 0	MD 2.54 higher (0.3 higher to 4.78 higher)

*The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI)
CI confidence interval, MD mean difference
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
High certainty: we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect
Moderate certainty: we are moderately confident in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different
Low certainty: our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect
Very low certainty: we have very little confidence in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect

ISSN: 1749-8090