Article description

Summary:

• Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is taken as the highest level of scientific evidence
• A review of RCTs published between January 1982 and January 2021 was performed
• With the aim of mapping and summarizing the main characteristics and publication trends of RCTs with a statistically significant effect on mortality in critically ill and perioperative patients
• A descriptive analysis was conducted, including general and methodologic information of all these RCTs with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in mortality
• 340 studies published in 115 journals from 42 countries were identified
• Ventilatory support (n = 58, 17%) and hemodynamics (n = 56, 16%), were represented the most
• 47 (14%) RCTs described a detrimental effect on survival
• Denmark published the highest number of trials per million population
• Female authors led 12% of RCT
• Publishing in a high impact factor journal increased the application of the intention-to-treat principle in RCTs from 60% to 75%

Conclusions:

• An increase in scientific production of RCTs studying, interventions that significantly influences mortality, was found
• The main contributors of RCTs in the field during this period were the United States, China, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, with 172 (51%)
• 20% of studies were multinational collaborations
• 1 in 8 RCT’s was authored by a female