CRD Summary: This review concluded that tamsulosin adjunctive to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was safe and effective in treating patients with renal stones of 10 to 24mm diameter; evidence was inconclusive for ureteral stone clearance. Given the poor reporting of the review process and lack of adequate primary trial information, the authors' conclusions should be treated with caution.

CRD Commentary: The research question was supported by inclusion criteria for intervention, but they were implied for participants and there were none for study design or outcome; this may have led to subjective decisions during study selection. The authors did not report any attempts to identify unpublished studies, which may have increased the possibility of publication bias. Language restrictions were not reported, so it is not known whether language bias was likely. The authors did not report the process used for study selection or data extraction, so it is not known if steps were taken to reduce the possibility of reviewer error and bias. Validity of the primary trials was not adequately assessed, so the reliability of their results cannot be assessed. Few participant details were provided, so the baseline clinical heterogeneity could not be determined. Data regarding adverse events did not appear to be included, but the authors concluded that tamsulosin was safe. As the review process was poorly reported, the reliability of the primary trials was not known and the conclusions appeared optimistic considering the data available, the authors' conclusions should be treated with caution.