Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Prospective, randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trials (RCTs), which evaluated the usage of pancreatic enzymes for the relief of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis, were included. The duration of the studies ranged from 2 weeks to 8 months.
Specific interventions included in the review
Pancreatic enzyme supplements including the following: Ilozyme, Pankreon, Pancrex-Duo, Pancrease, Panzytrat and Creon. These preparations included both enteric-coated and non-enteric-coated formulations, and included tablets, granules, microspheres and microtablets.
Participants included in the review
Chronic pancreatitis. The participants were patients with chronic pancreatitis who were being treated for pain. The following criteria were used for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis: secretin test, endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, operating room, Lundh test meal, ultrasound, computed tomography, and plain X-ray film of the abdomen. Of the participants, 48% were male and steatorrhoea was documented in 35% of the cases.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The outcome assessed was the percentage of patients expressing a preference for enzyme treatment over placebo. The individual studies used the following criteria to determine the outcome: pain score (1 to 4), pain scale (1 to 5), analgesic use, 10 cm visual analogue pain scale, and pain score (slight, moderate, severe).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.