Figures
- FIGURE 1.
Flow chart showing of the number of studies incorporated in the Cochrane review. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. #: <4% of the original number identified.
- FIGURE 2.
Forest plot comparison of mucolytics versus placebo for the number of exacerbations per patient per month. Heterogenetity: Chi-squared 138.08; degrees of freedom 20 (p<0.00001); I2 96%. Test for overall effect: z-score 10.06 (p<0.000001). IV: linear instrumental variable regression. Reproduced from [23] with permission from the publisher.
- FIGURE 3.
Forest plot comparison of mucolytics versus placebo for the number of patients with no exacerbations during the study period. Heterogenetity: Chi-squared 30.56; degrees of freedom 19 (p<0.05); I2 38%. Test for overall effect: z-score 11.28 (p<0.00001). Reproduced from [23] with permission from the publisher.
- FIGURE 4.
Kaplan–Meier plot of the probability of a) being exacerbation free or b) having more than one exacerbation at each time-point during the study. ––––: carbocysteine; - - - -: placebo. Reproduced from [53] with permission from the publisher.
Tables
- Table. 1—
Patient demographics and baseline characteristics
Carbocysteine Placebo Subjects 353 354 Males 273 (77) 282 (80) Age yrs 65±9 65±9 Duration of COPD yrs 9±9 10±9 Baseline spirometry FEV1 L 1.07±0.41 1.12±0.43 FEV1 % pred 44±15 45±15 FVC L 2.20±0.74 2.28±0.75 FEV1/FVC % 50±13 50±13 GOLD stages II 167 (47) 177 (50) III 139 (39) 140 (40) IV 47 (13) 37 (11) SGRQ total score 42±19 43±19 Medications for COPD prior to study β2-agonist 76 (22) 61 (17) Anticholinergic agents 40 (11) 36 (10) Inhaled corticosteroids 64 (18) 54 (15) Xanthines 113 (30) 95 (27) Data are presented as n, n (%) or mean±sd. COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; % pred: % predicted; FVC: forced vital capacity; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; SGRQ: St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Reproduced from [54] with permission from the publisher.
