Table 4

Grade assessment of sputum eosinophil-based papers

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  • GRADE Working Group grades of evidence.

  • High quality: further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.

  • Moderate quality: further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.

  • Low quality: further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.

  • Very low quality: we are very uncertain about the estimate.

  • *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).

  • 1 One paper (Chlumsky) was open labelled with no blinding.

  • 2 Two studies (Chlumsky and Green) had significantly higher doses of ICS overall.

  • ICS, inhaled corticosteroid.