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Table 1 Summary of the eligible studies

From: Efficacy and safety of unrestricted visiting policy for critically ill patients: a meta-analysis

No.

Study

Country

Study design

Sample size

Mean age

Intervention

Outcomes

UVP

RVP

UVP

RVP

UVP

RVP

1

Xueping 2021

China

QE

82

82

63.8 ± 8.59

63.87 ± 7.43

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference, with the only restriction being a total time of 60 min

Single visitor per patient admitted for 20 min/d

①②⑤⑦

2

Xiliang 2020

China

QE

42

43

67.29 ± 7.19

64.58 ± 8.46

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference, with the only restriction being a total time of 60 min

Single visitor per patient admitted for 30 min/d

⑤⑦⑧⑨

3

Zhongxi 2020

China

QE

34

32

65.16 ± 12.6

65.7 ± 11.3

Two or fewer family visitors per patient at a time were allowed for up to 6 h/d, divided into six periods

Single visitor per patient admitted for 30 min/d

⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨

4

Rosa 2019

Brazil, SUA, Italy

RCT

837

848

58.4 ± 18.3

58.6 ± 18.2

Two or fewer visitors at a time were allowed for up to 12 h/d

Two or fewer visitors per patient at a time were allowed for up to 4.5 h/d, TID

①②③④⑤⑥⑦

5

Lifei 2018

China

RCT

177

178

54.93 ± 17.58

56.14 ± 16.79

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference

Single visitor per patient admitted for 30 min/d

①②③④⑤

6

Liping 2018

China

QE

85

71

60.08 ± 19.62

57.47 ± 18.53

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference, with the only restriction being a total time of 90 min

Two or fewer visitors per patient admitted for 30 min/d

⑤⑦

7

Xinying 2017

China

RCT

60

60

65 ± 3.6

 

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference

Single visitor per patient admitted for 20 min/d

⑤

8

Eghbali-Babadi M, 2017

Iran

RCT

34

34

55.11 ± 12.11

54.12 ± 13.11

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference

Single visitor per patient admitted for 30 min/d

⑤

9

Rosa 2017

Brazil

QE

145

141

60.5 ± 18.6

62.4 ± 20.6

Two or fewer visitors at a time were allowed for up to 12 h/d

Two or fewer visitors per patient at a time were allowed for up to 4.5 h/d, TID

①②③④⑤⑥⑦

10

Malacarne 2011

Italy

QE

261

269

60.7 ± 17.8

58.3 ± 21.1

Four visitors per patient were admitted for 90 min BID

Two visitors per patient admitted for 1 h/d

①②③④⑥⑦

11

Fumagalli 2006

Italy

RCT

111

115

68 ± 1

67 ± 1

The number and duration of visits were left to the patient’s preference, with the only restriction being one visitor at a time

Single visitor per patient admitted for 30 min BID

①②③④⑥⑧⑨

  1. ① ICU-acquired infection ② ventilator‑associated pneumonia ③ catheter-related blood stream infection ④ catheter-associated urinary tract infection ⑤ delirium ⑥ mortality ⑦ length of ICU stay ⑧ anxiety ⑨ depression
  2. RCT—randomized control trial, QE—quasi-experimental, UVP—unrestricted visiting policy, RVP—restricted visiting policy, BID twice a day, TID three times a day