Statistical analysis
Central randomization at a 1:1 ratio was performed using computer-generated random permutation sequences to avoid any potential bias. All normally distributed continuous variables are expressed as mean and standard deviation (SD) and were compared using Student’s t-test. Categorical variables were expressed as numbers and percentages. Categorical variables are reported as counts and proportions and were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, as appropriate. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0, (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).