Gabapentin compared with amitriptyline for chronic non‐cancer pain

Patient or population: children and adolescents (birth to 17 years of age) with chronic non‐cancer pain

Settings: primary care

Intervention: gabapentin

Comparison: amitriptyline

Participant‐reported pain relief of 30% or greater

N/A

N/A

‐

No evidence to support or refute^b

Participant‐reported pain relief of 50% or greater

N/A

N/A

‐

No evidence to support or refute^b

Patient Global Impression of Change: much improved or very much improved

N/A

N/A

‐

No evidence to support or refute^b

Any adverse events

N/A

34 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Serious adverse events

N/A

34 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Withdrawals due to adverse events

N/A

34 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

*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; N/A: not applicable; RR: risk ratio

GRADE Working Group grades of evidence

High quality: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect.

Moderate quality: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate; the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.

Low quality: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited; the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.

Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate; the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect.

Pregabalin compared with placebo for chronic non‐cancer pain

Patient or population: children and adolescents (birth to 17 years of age) with chronic non‐cancer pain

Settings: multicentre, USA (28 primary care centres), India (5 primary care centres), Taiwan (2 primary care centres), and Czech Republic (1 primary care centre)

Intervention: pregabalin

Comparison: placebo

Participant‐reported pain relief of 30% or greater**

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Participant‐reported pain relief of 50% or greater**

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Patient Global Impression of Change: much improved or very much improved**

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Adverse events

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Serious adverse events

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

Withdrawals due to adverse events

N/A

107 participants

(1 study)

⊕⊝⊝⊝
very low^a

GRADE Working Group grades of evidence

High quality: We are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect.

Moderate quality: We are moderately confident in the effect estimate; the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.

Low quality: Our confidence in the effect estimate is limited; the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.

Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate; the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect.