Ivermectin for onchocercal eye disease (river blindness) (Review)

Abiose 1993 (Continued)
Blinding?
All outcomes
Incomplete outcome data addressed?
All outcomes
Yes See above
30 identical containers, numbered 1-30, to
which ivermectin (6 mg per tablet) or a visually
indistinguishable placebo tablet had
been randomly allocated. Each participant
received tablets from the container with the
same number as his or her card.
Staff conducting the trial were unaware
which containers held ivermectin.” Abiose
1993, page 131, first paragraph.
Unclear “....3522 individuals examined at the first
examination were re-examined at least
once-an overall follow-up rate of 82%. The
mean duration of follow-up for these individuals
was 2-54 (range 1.41-3.25)years.
There were no differences between the ivermectin
and placebo groups in the mean duration
of follow-up or in the proportions
of participants re-examined at each examination.”
Abiose 1993, page 131, results, first
paragraph.
Communities endemic for onchocerciasis
were treated i.e. everyone aged 5 years
and above received ivermectin or placebo.
However, as very few people aged less than
15 years will experience significant onchocercal
eye disease children under the age
of 15 years were not examined at followup.
Although this means that not everyone
treated was examined, as this was an a priori
decision at study design stage, and intervention/control
groups were treated the
same it is unlikely to have lead to any bias
in estimating the effect of the intervention.
Free of selective reporting? No No information on pre-specified outcomes
and only optic nerve disease and visual field
loss reported.
Ivermectin for onchocercal eye disease (river blindness) (Review)
Copyright © 2009 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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