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Table 2 Oral H1 antihistamines compared to placebo or alternative treatment for eczema: summary of findings[9]

From: No high level evidence to support the use of oral H1 antihistamines as monotherapy for eczema: a summary of a Cochrane systematic review

 

Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI)

    

Assumed risk

Corresponding risk

Outcomes

Placebo or alternative treatment

Oral H1 antihistamines

Relative effect (95% CI)

No of participants (studies)

Quality of the evidence (GRADE)

Comments

Reduction of subjectively perceived itch, as determined by validated rating scales

-

-

Not estimable

0 (0)

No evidence from RCTs that met our inclusion criteria1

No RCT could be included

Global improvement in eczema, as measured by reduction in an eczema severity score such as SCORAD

-

-

Not estimable

0 (0)

No evidence from RCTs that met our inclusion criteria1

No RCT could be included

Percentage of participants reporting adverse effects/adverse events

-

-

Not estimable

0 (0)

No evidence from RCTs that met our inclusion criteria1

No RCT could be included

Improvement in quality of life measures

-

-

Not estimable

0 (0)

No evidence from RCTs that met our inclusion criteria1

No RCT could be included

  1. Patient or population: patients with eczema. Intervention: oral H1 antihistamines. Comparison: placebo or alternative treatment (excluding: one antihistamine versus another antihistamine; topical antihistamines; H1 antihistamines as 'add-on' therapy; and studies using any concomitant therapy other than emollients/moisturizers).
  2. *The basis for the assumed risk (for example, the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% CI) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
  3. GRADE Working Group grades of evidence: high quality, further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect; moderate quality, further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate; low quality, further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate; very low quality, we are very uncertain about the estimate.
  4. 1There might be some evidence coming from studies that allowed concomitant therapies for eczema, but that would not address the singular effect of oral antihistamines on eczema.