Application of number needed to treat (NNT) as a measure of treatment effect in respiratory medicine

Treatments in Respiratory Medicine

Volumn 5, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 79-84

  Cazzola, Mario ^a  

^a CARDARELLI HOSPITAL   (Italy)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BETA 2 ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR STIMULATING AGENT; BUDESONIDE; BUDESONIDE PLUS FORMOTEROL; CORTICOSTEROID; FLUTICASONE; FORMOTEROL; LONG ACTING DRUG; SALMETEROL; TERBUTALINE;

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE; CLINICAL TRIAL; CONFIDENCE INTERVAL; HEALTH CARE NEED; HUMAN; MEDICAL DECISION MAKING; META ANALYSIS; POWDER INHALER; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK FACTOR; RISK REDUCTION; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; THERAPY EFFECT; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; NUMBERS NEEDED TO TREAT; PULMONOLOGY; RISK; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

ADRENAL CORTEX HORMONES; EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE; HUMANS; NUMBERS NEEDED TO TREAT; PULMONARY MEDICINE; RISK; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

EID: 33744457007     PISSN: 11763450     EISSN: 11763450     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2165/00151829-200605020-00001     Document Type: Review

References (36)

1. Fahey T, Griffiths S, Peters TJ. Evidence based purchasing: understanding results of clinical trials and systematic reviews. BMJ 1995; 311: 1056-9
2. Forrow L, Taylor WC, Arnold RM. Absolutely relative: how research results are summarized can affect treatment decisions. Am J Med 1992; 92: 121-4
3. Malenka DJ, Baron JA, Johansen S, et al. The framing effect of relative and absolute risk. J Gen Intern Med 1993; 8: 543-8
4. Naylor CD, Chen E, Strauss B. Measured enthusiasm: does the method of reporting trial results alter perceptions of therapeutic effectiveness? Ann Intern Med 1992; 117: 916-21
5. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. Evidence-based medicine: a new approach to teaching the practice of medicine. JAMA 1992; 268: 2420-5
6. Cook RJ, Sackett DL. The number needed to treat: a clinically useful measure of treatment effect. BMJ 1995; 310: 452-4
7. McQuay HJ, Moore RA. Using numerical results from systematic reviews in clinical practice. Ann Intern Med 1997; 126: 712-20
8. Barratt A, Wyer PC, Hatala R, et al. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 1. Relative risk reduction, absolute risk reduction and number needed to treat. CMAJ 2004; 171: 353-8
9. Laupacis A, Sackett DL, Roberts RS. An assessment of clinically useful measures of the consequences of treatment. N Engl J Med 1988; 318: 1728-33
10. Altman DG, Andersen PK. Calculating the number needed to treat for trials where the outcome is time to an event. BMJ 1999; 319: 1492-5
11. Rembold CM. Number needed to screen: development of a statistic for disease screening. BMJ 1998; 317: 307-12
12. Smucny J, Fahey T, Becker L, et al. Antibiotics for acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004; (4): CD000245
13. Altman DG. Confidence intervals for the number needed to treat. BMJ 1998; 317: 1309-12
14. Reveiz L, Cardona AF, Ospina EG. Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005 Jan; (1): CD004783
15. Halliday HL. Postnatal steroids and chronic lung disease in the newborn. Paediatr Respir Rev 2004; 5 Suppl. A: S245-8
16. Stanton WR, Lowe JB, Moffatt J, et al. Randomised control trial of a smoking cessation intervention directed at men whose partners are pregnant. Prev Med 2004; 38: 6-9
17. Shah SS, Ohlsson A, Halliday H, et al. Inhaled versus systemic corticosteroids for preventing chronic lung disease in ventilated very low birth weight preterm neonates. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003; (1): CD002058
18. Ho JJ, Subramaniam P, Henderson-Smart DJ, et al. Continuous distending pressure for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2002; (2): CD002271
19. Davis PG, Henderson-Smart DJ. Extubation from low-rate intermittent positive airways pressure versus extubation after a trial of endotracheal continuous positive airways pressure in intubated preterm infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001; (4): CD001078
20. Abramson MJ, Puy RM, Weiner JM. Allergen immunotherapy for asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003; (4): CD001186
21. Powell H, Gibson PG. Inhaled corticosteroid doses in asthma: an evidence-based approach. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 223-5
22. Rowe BH, Spooner CH, Ducharme FM, et al. Corticosteroids for preventing relapse following acute exacerbations of asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001; (1): CD000195
23. Charlton BG. Numbers needed to treat derived from meta-analysis: are an absurdity. BMJ 1999; 319: 1199
24. Smeeth L, Haines A, Ebrahim S. Numbers needed to treat derived from metaanalyses: sometimes informative, usually misleading. BMJ 1999; 318: 1548-51
25. D'Amico R, Deeks JJ, Altman DG. Numbers needed to treat derived from meta-analysis: length of follow up is poorly reported. BMJ 1999; 319: 1200
26. Hopayian K, McGough J. Numbers needed to treat derived from meta-analysis: using patient years may also be misleading. BMJ 1999; 319: 1199-200
27. Moore A, McQuay H. Numbers needed to treat derived from meta analysis: NNT is a tool, to be used appropriately. BMJ 1999; 319: 1200
28. Jain BP. Number needed to treat and relative risk reduction. Ann Intern Med 1998; 128: 72-3
29. Lui KJ. A simple logical solution to eliminate the limitations of using the number needed to treat. Eval Health Prof 2004; 27: 206-14
30. Halvorsen PA, Kristiansen IS. Decisions on drug therapies by numbers needed to treat: a randomized trial. Arch Intern Med 2005; 165: 1140-6
31. Szafranski W, Cukier A, Ramirez A, et al. Efficacy and safety of budesonide/ formoterol in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J 2003; 21: 74-81
32. Calverley PM, Boonsawat W, Cseke Z, et al. Maintenance therapy with budesonide and formoterol in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J 2003; 22: 912-9
33. Halpin D, Stahl E, Lundback B, et al. Treatment costs and number needed to treat (NNT) with budesonide/formoterol to avoid one exacerbation of COPD [abstract plus poster]. In: 100th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society; 2004 May 21-26; Florida. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2004 May; 169 Suppl.: A770
34. Halpin DM. Evaluating the effectiveness of combination therapy to prevent COPD exacerbations: the value of NNT analysis. Int J Clin Pract 2005; 59: 1187-94
35. Calverley P, Pauwels R, Vestbo J, et al. Combined salmeterol and fluticasone in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2003; 361: 449-56
36. Altman DG, Schulz KF, Moher D, et al. The revised CONSORT statement for reporting randomized trials: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2001; 134: 663-94