Figure 3. Absolute risk difference in mortality among patients who received early versus late treatment with convalescent blood products.
Results favor treatment with convalescent blood products (z = 6.50; P < 0.001), and there was no statistical evidence of heterogeneity (Q = 2.76; I2 = 0%; P = 0.43). The pooled estimate should be interpreted with caution and should not be generalized to other strains of virulent influenza without further study. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole integer. *The treatment day of a fatal case could not be determined and was excluded from analysis of early versus late treatment (19, 20).