Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for inclusion.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of the intravenous infusion of saponins from Chinese buckeye seed, with or without mannitol, were eligible for inclusion. The included studies used doses of 10 to 40 mg per day, administered for 5 to 28 days. Eligible control groups received placebo, no treatment, a non-specific treatment or mannitol. Of those studies included in the review, 34 trials compared the intervention with mannitol.
Participants included in the review
The participants were required to have stroke or cerebral trauma diagnosed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Details of the participants in the included studies were not provided. The numbers of participants per study varied from 24 to 224 (mean 99).
Outcomes assessed in the review
Inclusion criteria for the outcomes were not specified. The main outcomes evaluated in the included studies were total effective rate (possibly a measure of effectiveness in reducing intracranial pressure), mortality and the incidence of impaired renal function.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers independently selected papers for the review. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion.