PP049 - ASSESSMENT OF SPIN IN ABSTRACTS OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WITH META-ANALYSES EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS
PP049
ASSESSMENT OF SPIN IN ABSTRACTS OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WITH META-ANALYSES EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS
A. Pinto Kropidlofscky1, I. S. Knobloch1, L. W. Echabe1,*, K. P. Zucatti1, J. K. Sander2, F. M. Silva1
1Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, 2Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Rationale: Systematic reviews with meta-analyses (SRMAs) have been widely assessed since they summarize the evidence. However, findings may be misleadingly presented, a practice known as spin, that occurs especially in abstracts, the most frequently accessed part of manuscripts by readers. This study aimed to assess the frequency of spin in abstracts of SRMAs evaluating nutrition interventions in critically ill patients.
Methods: A meta-research of SRMAs evaluating the effects of nutritional interventions in critically ill patients, identified through an extensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane (all the searches at September 2024). Data extraction was performed using a standardized form in REDCap® by two independent reviewers, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. The presence of spin in abstracts of SRMAs was assessed according to the classification proposed by Yavchitz, comprising 19 types of spin. Descriptive analysis was conducted at R Studio 4.4.4. The protocol was registered in the OSF (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YUZ9F).
Results: Of 12,399 records identified in the initial search, 206 SRMAs’ abstracts were included. The included SRMAs were published in 69 different journals, most of them from the USA (32,5%). Any type of spin was identified in 97.1% of the SRMAs. The number of spin types per SRMA ranged from 0 to 11, with a median of 4 (IQR 3–6). The frequency of spin across SRMAs ranged from 0% to 61.1%, with a median of 20% (IQR 15–30%). Seven of 19 types of spin were identified in more than 25% of SRMAs.
Conclusion: A high frequency of spin in abstracts of SRMAs on nutrition interventions for critically ill patients was observed and it is a problematic finding since it may influence clinicians’ interpretation of evidence and, consequently, impact decision-making in critical care practice.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared