Table 2

Quality measures of included studies
Study, Year
 Were important inclusions and exclusions explained?
 Was patient spectrum clearly defined?*
 Was the diagnosis of HF determined without knowledge of the BNP result?
 Was agreement reported for the reference standard?
 Was selection bias present?
 Was verification bias present?
 Were withdrawals explained?
Jourdain 2002
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
 No
Logeart 2002
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
 Yes
Maisel 2002
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 No
 Possible
 No
 N/A†
Morrison 2002
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 N/A†
Villacorta 2002
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
 N/A†
Lainchbury 2003
 No
 No
 Yes
 No
 Possible
 Possible
 N/A†
Knudsen 2004
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 Possible
 N/A†
Ray 2004
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 Possible
 No
 Yes
Alibay 2005
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
 N/A†
Mueller 2005
 Yes
 No
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
 Yes

*Information available on age, gender, race, prevalence of a HF history and history of asthma and/or COPD, and the percentage of patients admitted to the hospital.

Korenstein et al. BMC Emergency Medicine 2007 7:6   doi:10.1186/1471-227X-7-6