Soft catheters compared to Firm catheters for women undergoing intrauterine insemination

Patient or population: women undergoing intrauterine insemination
Settings:
Intervention: Soft catheters
Comparison: Firm catheters

Live birth rate

OR 0.94
(0.65 to 1.35)

896
(3 studies)

⊕⊕⊝⊝
low^1,2

Live‐birth rate is the main outcome of interest.

Pregnancy rate

OR 1
(0.73 to 1.35)

1210
(6 studies)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^1,2,3

Clinical pregnancy rate is a intermediate outcome correlated with the live birth rate.

Instrumental assistance needed

Not estimable

986
(2 studies)

See comment

All events presented per cycle rather than per patient.

Blood on catheter tip

Not estimable

852
(2 studies)

See comment

All events presented per cycle rather than per patient.

Uterine cramping

Not estimable

290
(2 studies)

See comment

All events presented per cycle rather than per patient.

Miscarriage per woman

OR 1.25
(0.49 to 3.22)

645
(2 studies)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^1,2,4

Miscarriage is an intermediate outcome.

*The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
CI: Confidence interval; OR: Odds ratio;

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.