6. The authors first conclusion is that “Early abdominopelvic computed tomography for acute abdominal pain may reduce mortality and length of hospital stay.” Is this a useful conclusion to be drawn from a clinical trial?
They knew this before they did the trial.
If they did not think that the intervention may be beneficial, they would not have thought of doing the trial in the first place. It is as if they have learned nothing from their trial at all.
What they could conclude is that early abdominopelvic computed tomography for acute abdominal pain may not reduce length of hospital stay or may reduce it by as much as 56%.
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Last updated: 8 July, 2008.