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Table 3 Assessment of comparative studies using the QUADAS tool

From: Methods for identifying surgical wound infection after discharge from hospital: a systematic review

QUADAS Item

Sands (1996)

Sands (1999)

Sands (2003)

Whitby (2002)

Seaman & Lammers (1991)

Mitchell (1999)

Martini (2000)

Was the spectrum of patients representative of the patient who will receive the test in practice?

Yes

Yes

No. CABG patients with a probability score of 0.1 of developing an SSI.

No. Chose moderate to high-risk patients only.

No. Only included patients with lacerations treated at A & E.

Yes

Unclear. Not enough information presented

Were the selection criteria clearly described?

Yes

Yes

Yes

No. Patients included if had a surgical wound that could be easily observed and if procedure undertaken had a moderate to high risk infection probability but not stated how this was calculated.

Yes

No.

No

Is the reference standard likely to correctly classify the target condition.

Unclear

Unclear

No. Relies on reporting, no observation.

Unclear. Different health professionals engaged in study had different levels of agreement.

Yes

Unclear

No.

Is the time period between the reference standard and index test short enough to be reasonably sure that the target condition did not change between the two tests?

   

Unclear. As authors did not specify what type of surgery was undertaken it is not known whether the follow-up period was sufficient to detect infections.

Unclear

No

Unclear

Did the whole sample or a random selection of the sample, receive verification using a reference standard of diagnosis?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No. Only those whose surgeon completed the questionnaire

Yes

Did patients receive the same reference standard regardless of the test result?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Was the reference standard independent of the index test (i.e. the index test did not form part of the reference standard)?

Unclear

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Was the execution of the index test described in sufficient detail to permit replication of the test?

Unclear

Unclear

Yes

Yes

Yes

Unclear

Yes

Was the execution of the reference test described in sufficient detail to permit replication of the test?

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference test?

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Yes

Yes

Unclear

Yes

Were the results of the reference standard interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test?

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Yes

No

Unclear

Yes

Were the same clinical data available when test results were interpreted as would be available when the test is used in practice?

No. The information available in this standard would not be available in the UK.

No. The information available in this standard would not be available in the UK.

No. The information available in this standard would not be available in the UK.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Were uninterpretable/Intermediate test results reported?

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Were withdrawals from the study explained?

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Yes

Unclear

Unclear