Cited by 1,885Statistical Methods in Clinical TrialsMeta-analysis and systematic reviewsStatistical Methods in Epidemiology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 24 of the 24 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The number needed to treat: a clinically useful measure of treatment effect

Open access

Cook, Richard J, Sackett, David L·1995·BMJ

DOI 10.1136/bmj.310.6977.452PMC PMC2548824

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

The relative benefit of an active treatment over a control is usually expressed as the relative risk, the relative risk reduction, or the odds ratio. These measures are used extensively in both clinical and epidemiological investigations. For clinical decision making, however, it is more meaningful to use the measure "number needed to treat." This measure is calculated on the inverse of the absolute risk reduction. It has the advantage that it conveys both statistical and clinical significance to the doctor. Furthermore, it can be used to extrapolate published findings to a patient at an arbitrary specified baseline risk when the relative risk reduction associated with treatment is constant for all levels of risk.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/bmj.310.6977.452

Cites

24 of 24 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Accuracy of clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease: a clinico-pathological study of 100 cases.
Hughes, A. J., Daniel, S. E., Kilford, L., & Lees, A. J. (1992) · Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.55.3.181 · Cited by 10,378
Evidence-Based Medicine
Guyatt, G. H. (1992) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.1992.03490170092032 · Cited by 4,577
Blood pressure, stroke, and coronary heart disease
Collins, R., Peto, R., MacMahon, S., Godwin, J., Qizilbash, N., Collins, R., MacMahon, S., Hebert, P., Eberlein, K. A., Taylor, J. O., et al. (1990) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/0140-6736(90)90944-z · Cited by 4,491
Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine.
(1991) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-114-9-825_9 · Cited by 3,497
An Assessment of Clinically Useful Measures of the Consequences of Treatment
Laupacis, A., Sackett, D. L., & Roberts, R. S. (1988) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm198806303182605 · Cited by 1,681
Self-citation
A Neurological Syndrome Associated with Orthostatic Hypotension: A Clinical-Pathologic Study
SHY, G. M. (1960) · A.M.A. Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.1960.03840110025004 · Cited by 743
Multiple system atrophy--the nature of the beast.
Quinn, N. P. (1989) · Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.52.suppl.78 · Cited by 641
Orthostatic hypotension and nicotine sensitivity in a case of multiple system atrophy.
Graham, J. G., & Oppenheimer, D. R. (1969) · Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.32.1.28 · Cited by 561
Corticobasal degeneration: A clinical study of 36 cases
Rinne, J. O., Lee, M. S., Thompson, P. D., & MARSDEN, C. D. (1994) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/117.5.1183 · Cited by 407
Diffuse Lewy body disease: clinical features in 15 cases.
Byrne, E. J., Lennox, G. G., Lowe, J. S., & Godwin-Austen, R. B. (1989) · Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/jnnp.52.6.709 · Cited by 309

Show all 24 references

Sorted by citations

Items 201–300 of 1,004

Clinical effectiveness of online computerised cognitive–behavioural therapy without support for depression in primary care: randomised trial
de Graaf, L. E., Gerhards, S. A. H., Arntz, A., Riper, H., Metsemakers, J. F. M., Evers, S. M. A. A., Severens, J. L., Widdershoven, G., & Huibers, M. J. H. (2009) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.108.054429 · Cited by 190
An innovative approach to integrated medicines management
Scullin, C., Scott, M., Hogg, A., & McElnay, J. C. (2007) · Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2006.00753.x · Cited by 198
Prophylactic Antibiotic Administration Reduces Sepsis and Mortality in Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis: A Meta-Analysis
Sharma, V. K., & Howden, C. W. (2001) · Pancreas · doi:10.1097/00006676-200101000-00005 · Cited by 198
Esomeprazole Versus Other Proton Pump Inhibitors in Erosive Esophagitis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Gralnek, I. M., Dulai, G. S., Fennerty, M. B., & Spiegel, B. M. R. (2006) · Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology · doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2006.09.013 · Cited by 198
Absolute risk reductions, relative risks, relative risk reductions, and numbers needed to treat can be obtained from a logistic regression model
Austin, P. C. (2009) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.11.004 · Cited by 197
Analgesic Effects of Intravenous Lidocaine and Morphine on Postamputation Pain
Wu, C. L., Tella, P. K., Staats, P. S., Vaslav, R., Kazim, D. A., Wesselmann, U., & Raja, S. N. (2002) · Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/00000542-200204000-00010 · Cited by 197
Have cholinergic therapies reached their clinical boundary in Alzheimer's disease?
Jones, R. W. (2003) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.936 · Cited by 197
Epidemiology of sleep disorders
Partinen, M. (2010) · Handbook of clinical neurology · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-52006-7.00018-6 · Cited by 199
Carbamazepine for acute and chronic pain in adults
Wiffen, P. J., Derry, S., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2011) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd005451.pub2 · Cited by 197
Minimum efficacy criteria for comparisons between treatments using individual patient meta-analysis of acute pain trials: Examples of etoricoxib, paracetamol, ibuprofen, and ibuprofen/paracetamol combinations after third molar extraction
Moore, A. R., Straube, S., Paine, J., Derry, S., & McQuay, H. J. (2011) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.030 · Cited by 195
Ibuprofen with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults
Rabbie, R., Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008039.pub3 · Cited by 193
Metaanalysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography and Endoscopic Sphincterotomy for The Treatment of Acute Biliary Pancreatitis
Sharma, V. K., & Howden, C. W. (1999) · The American Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1999.01520.x · Cited by 194
A Systematic Review of Treatments for Infant Colic
Garrison, M. M., & Christakis, D. (2000) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.106.s1.184 · Cited by 193
Recommended confidence intervals for two independent binomial proportions
Fagerland, M. W., Lydersen, S., & Laake, P. (2011) · Statistical Methods in Medical Research · doi:10.1177/0962280211415469 · Cited by 192
Paracetamol with and without codeine in acute pain: a quantitative systematic review
Moore, A. R., Collins, S., Carroll, D., & McQuay, H. (1997) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(96)03319-2 · Cited by 192
A meta-analysis of nausea and vomiting following maintenance of anaesthesia with propofol or inhalational agents
Sneyd, J. R., Carr, A. S., Byrom, B., & Bilski, A. J. T. (1998) · European Journal of Anaesthesiology · doi:10.1097/00003643-199807000-00009 · Cited by 192
The performance of different propensity score methods for estimating absolute effects of treatments on survival outcomes: A simulation study
Austin, P., & Schuster, T. (2014) · Statistical Methods in Medical Research · doi:10.1177/0962280213519716 · Cited by 188
Secondary Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Latent Rheumatic Heart Disease
Beaton, A., Okello, E., Rwebembera, J., Grobler, A. C., Engelman, D., Alepere, J., Canales, L., Carapetis, J. R., DeWyer, A., Lwabi, P., et al. (2021) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa2102074 · Cited by 191
Omitting antagonism of neuromuscular block: effect on postoperative nausea and vomiting and risk of residual paralysis. A systematic review
Tramèr, M. R., & Fuchs‐Buder, T. (1999) · British Journal of Anaesthesia · doi:10.1093/bja/82.3.379 · Cited by 191
A systematic review of the antifungal effectiveness and tolerability of amphotericin B formulations
Barrett, J. P., Vardulaki, K., Conlon, C. P., Cooke, J., Daza-Ramirez, P., Evans, E. G. V., Hawkey, P. M., Herbrecht, R., Marks, D. I., Moraleda, J. M., et al. (2003) · Clinical Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/s0149-2918(03)80125-x · Cited by 190
Adverse events associated with medium- and long-term use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain: an overview of Cochrane Reviews
Els, C., Kunyk, D., Lappi, V. G., Sonnenberg, B., Hagtvedt, R., Sharma, S., Kolahdooz, F., & Straube, S. (2017) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012509 · Cited by 192
Optimum duration of regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication
Yuan, Y., Ford, A. C., Khan, K. J., Gisbert, J. P., Forman, D., Leontiadis, G. I., Tse, F., Calvet, X., Fallone, C. A., Fischbach, L. A., et al. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008337.pub2 · Cited by 195
Topical NSAIDs for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults
Derry, S., Moore, R. A., Gaskell, H., McIntyre, M., & Wiffen, P. J. (2015) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007402.pub3 · Cited by 188
Pharmacological control of opioid-induced pruritus: a quantitative systematic review of randomized trials
Kjellberg, F., & Tramèr, M. R. (2001) · European Journal of Anaesthesiology · doi:10.1046/j.0265-0215.2000.00826.x · Cited by 188
New perspectives on the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain
Jensen, T. S., Bačkonja, M.-M., Hernández-Jiménez, S. C., Tesfaye, S. H., Valensi, P. E., & Ziegler, D. (2006) · Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research · doi:10.3132/dvdr.2006.013 · Cited by 189
Treatment of oppositional defiant and conduct problems in young Norwegian children
Larsson, B. S., Fossum, S., Clifford, G., Drugli, M. B., Handegård, B. H., & Mørch, W. (2008) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-008-0702-z · Cited by 186
Deliberate self harm in Sri Lanka: an overlooked tragedy in the developing world
Eddleston, M., Sheriff, M. H. R., & Hawton, K. (1998) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.317.7151.133 · Cited by 185
Does improving maternal knowledge of vaccines impact infant immunization rates? A community-based randomized-controlled trial in Karachi, Pakistan
Owais, A., Hanif, B., Siddiqui, A. R., Agha, A., & Zaidi, A. K. M. (2011) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-239 · Cited by 186
A report of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Standing Committee for Clinical Trials Response Criteria Initiative
Dougados, M., Leclaire, P., van der Heijde, D. M. F. M., Bloch, D. A., Bellamy, N., & Altman, R. D. (2000) · Osteoarthritis and Cartilage · doi:10.1053/joca.2000.0361 · Cited by 186
Number Needed to Treat Estimates Incorporating Effects Over the Entire Range of Clinical Outcomes
Saver, J. L. (2004) · Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.61.7.1066 · Cited by 186
Pharmacological Treatment of Postoperative Shivering: A Quantitative Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Kranke, P., Eberhart, L. H. J., Roewer, N., & Tramèr, M. R. (2002) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1097/00000539-200202000-00043 · Cited by 185
Preoperative Intravenous Fluid Therapy Decreases Postoperative Nausea and Pain in High Risk Patients
Maharaj, C. H., Kallam, S., Malik, A., Hassett, P., Grady, D., & Laffey, J. G. (2005) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/01.ane.0000148684.64286.36 · Cited by 185
Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (without surgery) compared with radiotherapy alone in localized carcinoma of the esophagus
Wong, R. K. S., & Malthaner, R. A. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002092.pub3 · Cited by 185
Retracted
Topical capsaicin for chronic neuropathic pain in adults
Derry, S., Lloyd, R., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2009) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007393.pub2 · Cited by 185
Predictive Validity Performance Indicators in Violence Risk Assessment: A Methodological Primer
Singh, J. P. (2013) · Behavioral Sciences & the Law · doi:10.1002/bsl.2052 · Cited by 205
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of oral nutritional supplements on hospital readmissions
Stratton, R. J., Hébuterne, X., & Elia, M. (2013) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2013.07.002 · Cited by 183
Economics notes: Opportunity cost
Palmer, S., & Raftery, J. P. (1999) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.318.7197.1551 · Cited by 195
Systematic Review of Treatments for Infant Colic
Lucassen, P. L. B. J., & Assendelft, W. J. (2001) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.108.4.1047 · Cited by 182
The effectiveness of music in relieving pain in cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial
Huang, S.-T., Good, M., & Zauszniewski, J. A. (2010) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2010.03.008 · Cited by 190
Local anaesthetics and regional anaesthesia for preventing chronic pain after surgery
Andreae, M. H., & Andreae, D. A. (2012) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007105.pub2 · Cited by 178
Forensic Risk Assessment
Singh, J. P., & Fazel, S. (2010) · Criminal Justice and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0093854810374274 · Cited by 181
Oral morphine for cancer pain
Wiffen, P. J., Wee, B. L., & Moore, R. A. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003868.pub3 · Cited by 180
Novel End Point Analytic Techniques and Interpreting Shifts Across the Entire Range of Outcome Scales in Acute Stroke Trials
Saver, J. L. (2007) · Stroke · doi:10.1161/strokeaha.107.488536 · Cited by 177
How to obtain nnt from cohen’s D: comparison of two methods
Furukawa, T. A., & Leucht, S. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019070 · Cited by 179
Fetal bradycardia due to intrathecal opioids for labour analgesia: a systematic review
Mardirosoff, C., Dumont, L., Boulvain, M., & Tramèr, M. R. (2002) · BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01380.x · Cited by 181
Carbamazepine for acute and chronic pain in adults
Wiffen, P. J., Derry, S., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2005) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd005451 · Cited by 178
Changing everyday memory behaviour in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A randomised controlled trial
Troyer, A. K., Murphy, K. J., Anderson, N. D., Moscovitch, M., & Craik, F. I. M. (2007) · Neuropsychological Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09602010701409684 · Cited by 177
Efficacy of a web-based intervention with mobile phone support in treating depressive symptoms in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial
Nobis, S., Lehr, D., Ebert, D. D., Baumeister, H., Snoek, F., Riper, H., & Berking, M. (2015) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc14-1728 · Cited by 175
Efficacy and harm of pharmacological prevention of acute mountain sickness: quantitative systematic review
Dumont, L. (2000) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7256.267 · Cited by 174
Enriched enrolment: definition and effects of enrichment and dose in trials of pregabalin and gabapentin in neuropathic pain. A systematic review
Straube, S., Derry, S., McQuay, H. J., & Moore, R. A. (2008) · British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2008.03200.x · Cited by 173
Meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials of antibiotic prophylaxis before percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy
Sharma, V. K., & Howden, C. W. (2000) · The American Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2000.03283.x · Cited by 173
Single dose oral ibuprofen plus paracetamol (acetaminophen) for acute postoperative pain
Derry, C. J., Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd010210.pub2 · Cited by 173
Acute pain: individual patient meta-analysis shows the impact of different ways of analysing and presenting results
Moore, R. A., Edwards, J. E., & McQuay, H. J. (2005) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2005.05.001 · Cited by 172
Single dose oral ibuprofen for acute postoperative pain in adults
Derry, C. J., Derry, S., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2009) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001548.pub2 · Cited by 172
Who Is at Greatest Risk of Adverse Long-Term Outcomes? The Finnish From a Boy to a Man Study
Sourander, A., Jensen, P. S., Davies, M., Niemelä, S., Elonheimo, H., Ristkari, T., Helenius, H. Y. M., Sillanmäki, L. H., Piha, J., Kumpulainen, K., et al. (2007) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/chi.0b013e31809861e9 · Cited by 179
Vitamin D for the treatment of chronic painful conditions in adults
Straube, S., Derry, S., Straube, C., & Moore, R. A. (2015) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007771.pub3 · Cited by 178
Closing the gap between research and practice
Geddes, J. R., & Harrison, P. J. (1997) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.171.3.220 · Cited by 170
Duloxetine use in chronic painful conditions – individual patient data responder analysis
Moore, A., Cai, N., Skljarevski, V., & Tölle, T. R. (2013) · European Journal of Pain · doi:10.1002/j.1532-2149.2013.00341.x · Cited by 169
Single dose oral celecoxib for acute postoperative pain in adults
Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004233.pub4 · Cited by 169
Number needed to treat (NNT) in clinical literature: an appraisal
Mendes, D., Alves, C., & Batel-Marques, F. (2017) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0875-8 · Cited by 169
A prospective randomized trial of triage angiography in acute coronary syndromes ineligible for thrombolytic therapy
McCullough, P. A., O’Neill, W. W., Graham, M., Stomel, R. J., Rogers, F. J., David, S. W., Farhat, A. A. K., Kazlauskaite, R., Al-Zagoum, M., & Grines, C. L. (1998) · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/s0735-1097(98)00284-8 · Cited by 168
A quantitative systematic review of ondansetron in treatment of established postoperative nausea and vomiting
Tramèr, M. R., Moore, R. A., Reynolds, D. J., & McQuay, H. J. (1997) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.314.7087.1088 · Cited by 164
Detecting moderator effects using subgroup analyses
Wang, R., & Ware, J. H. (2013) · Prevention Science · doi:10.1007/s11121-011-0221-x · Cited by 165
Pragmatic randomised controlled trials in psychiatry
Hotopf, M., Churchill, R., & Lewis, G. (1999) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.175.3.217 · Cited by 165
Number Needed to Treat With Rosuvastatin to Prevent First Cardiovascular Events and Death Among Men and Women With Low Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Elevated High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
Ridker, P. M., MacFadyen, J. G., Fonseca, F. A. H., Genest, J. J., Gotto, A. M., Kastelein, J. J. P., Köenig, W., Libby, P., Lorenzatti, A. J., Nordestgaard, B. G., et al. (2009) · Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes · doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.109.848473 · Cited by 163
Ethics and early intervention in psychosis: keeping up the pace and staying in step
McGorry, P. D., Yung, A. R., & Phillips, L. (2001) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/s0920-9964(01)00235-3 · Cited by 165
Single dose oral paracetamol (acetaminophen) with codeine for postoperative pain in adults
Toms, L., Derry, S., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2009) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001547.pub2 · Cited by 166
Choosing an equivalence limit for noninferiority or equivalence studies
Wiens, B. L. (2002) · Controlled Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/s0197-2456(01)00196-9 · Cited by 164
Single dose intravenous paracetamol or intravenous propacetamol for postoperative pain
McNicol, E. D., Ferguson, M. C., Haroutounian, S., Carr, D. B., & Schumann, R. (2016) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007126.pub3 · Cited by 165
Primary prevention for alcohol misuse in young people
FOXCROFT, D. R., Ireland, D., Lowe, G., & Breen, R. (2011) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003024.pub2 · Cited by 164
Retracted
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain
Carroll, D., Moore, R., McQuay, H., Fairman, F. S., Tramèr, M. R., & Leijon, G. (2000) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003222 · Cited by 163
Retracted
Antifungal prophylaxis in liver transplant patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Cruciani, M., Mengoli, C., Malena, M., Bosco, O., Serpelloni, G., & Grossi, P. (2006) · Liver Transplantation · doi:10.1002/lt.20690 · Cited by 162
The Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Following Nonobstetric Surgery During Pregnancy
Balinskaite, V., Bottle, A., Sodhi, V., Rivers, A., Bennett, P. R., Brett, S. J., & Aylin, P. P. (2016) · Annals of Surgery · doi:10.1097/sla.0000000000001976 · Cited by 162
Meta-analysis, Simpson's paradox, and the number needed to treat
Altman, D. G., & Deeks, J. J. (2002) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-2-3 · Cited by 159
Seeking a simple measure of analgesia for mega-trials: is a single global assessment good enough?
Collins, S., Edwards, J. E., Moore, A. R., Smith, L. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2001) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(00)00435-8 · Cited by 162
Radiotherapy for the palliation of painful bone metastases
McQuay, H. J., Collins, S., Carroll, D., & Moore, A. (1999) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001793 · Cited by 162
Retracted
Opioids for cancer pain - an overview of Cochrane reviews
Wiffen, P. J., Wee, B. L., Derry, S., Bell, R. F., & Moore, R. A. (2017) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012592 · Cited by 162
Imiquimod for Actinic Keratosis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Hadley, G., Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2006) · Journal of Investigative Dermatology · doi:10.1038/sj.jid.5700264 · Cited by 161
Comprehensive Analysis of Remission (COMPARE) with Venlafaxine versus SSRIs
Nemeroff, C. B., Entsuah, R., Benattia, I., Demitrack, M. A., Sloan, D. M., & Thase, M. E. (2007) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.06.027 · Cited by 161
Comparison of Morphine, Ketorolac, and Their Combination for Postoperative Pain
Cepeda, M. S., Carr, D. B., Miranda, N., Diaz, A., Silva, C., & Morales, O. (2005) · Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/00000542-200512000-00018 · Cited by 160
Prevention of Late-Life Depression in Primary Care: Do We Know Where to Begin?
Schoevers, R. A., Smit, F., Deeg, D. J. H., Cuijpers, P. J., Dekker, J., van Tilburg, W., & Beekman, A. T. F. (2006) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.2006.163.9.1611 · Cited by 158
Randomized, Double-Blind Trial of Olanzapine Versus Placebo in Patients Prodromally Symptomatic for Psychosis
McGlashan, T. H. (2006) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.5.790 · Cited by 160
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) with or without an antiemetic for acute migraine headaches in adults
Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd008040.pub3 · Cited by 162
A randomized controlled trial of Internet-based self-help training for recurrent headache in childhood and adolescence
Trautmann, E., & Kröner-Herwig, B. (2010) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2009.09.004 · Cited by 159
Randomised controlled trials investigating pharmacological and psychological interventions for treatment-refractory depression
Stimpson, N. J., Agrawal, N., & Lewis, G. (2002) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.181.4.284 · Cited by 159
Optimal Strategies for Reporting Pain in Clinical Trials and Systematic Reviews: Recommendations from an OMERACT 12 Workshop
Busse, J. W., Bartlett, S. J., Dougados, M., Johnston, B. C., Guyatt, G. H., Kirwan, J., Kwoh, K. C., Maxwell, L. J., Moore, A., Singh, J. A., et al. (2015) · The Journal of Rheumatology · doi:10.3899/jrheum.141440 · Cited by 160
Effectiveness and treatment for unexplained infertility
(2006) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.07.1475 · Cited by 157
Topical NSAIDs for acute pain in adults
Massey, T. H., Derry, S., Moore, R. A., & McQuay, H. J. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007402.pub2 · Cited by 157
Lamotrigine for acute and chronic pain
Wiffen, P. J., Derry, S., & Moore, R. A. (2011) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd006044.pub3 · Cited by 156
Anticonvulsant drugs for acute and chronic pain
Wiffen, P. J., Collins, S., McQuay, H. J., Carroll, D., Jadad, A. R., & Moore, R. A. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd001133.pub3 · Cited by 153
Retracted
Identifying patient preferences for communicating risk estimates: A descriptive pilot study
Fortin, J. M., Hirota, L. K., Bond, B., O'Connor, A. M. C., & Col, N. F. (2001) · BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making · doi:10.1186/1472-6947-1-2 · Cited by 153
Combination Analgesic Efficacy
Edwards, J. E., McQuay, H. J., & Moore, R. A. (2002) · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management · doi:10.1016/s0885-3924(01)00404-3 · Cited by 153
Evaluating the Impact of Preoperative Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging on the Surgical Management of Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancers
Bilimoria, K. Y. (2007) · Archives of Surgery · doi:10.1001/archsurg.142.5.441 · Cited by 147
Treatment of established postoperative nausea and vomiting: a quantitative systematic review
Kazemi-Kjellberg, F., Henzi, I., & Tramèr, M. R. (2001) · BMC Anesthesiology · doi:10.1186/1471-2253-1-2 · Cited by 152
Effect of preoperative Cox‐II‐selective NSAIDs (coxibs) on postoperative outcomes: A systematic review of randomized studies
Straube, S., Derry, S., McQuay, H., & Moore, R. A. (2005) · Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1399-6576.2005.00666.x · Cited by 152
Pain and analgesic response after third molar extraction and other postsurgical pain
Barden, J., Edwards, J. E., McQuay, H. J., & Moore, R. A. (2003) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2003.09.021 · Cited by 152
Applying Propensity Score Methods in Clinical Research in Neurology
Austin, P., Xinyu, A., Vyas, M., & Kapral, M. (2021) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000012777 · Cited by 123
Efficacy of the NMDA-receptor antagonist memantine in patients with chronic phantom limb pain – results of a randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Maier, C., Dertwinkel, R., Mansourian, N., Hosbach, I., Schwenkreis, P., Senne, I., Skipka, G., Zenz, M. W., & Tegenthoff, M. (2003) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(02)00456-6 · Cited by 153
Influenza-Associated Hospitalization in a Subtropical City
Wong, C. M., Yang, L., Chan, K. P., Leung, G. M., Chan, K. H., Guan, Y., Lam, T. H., Hedley, A. J., & Peiris, J. S. M. (2006) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030121 · Cited by 147
Reality orientation therapy combined with cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial
Onder, G., Zanetti, O. O., Giacobini, E., Frisoni, G. B., Bartorelli, L., Carbone, G., Lambertucci, P., Silveri, M. C., & Bernabei, R. (2005) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.187.5.450 · Cited by 155

Authors: Cook, R. J., & Sackett, D. L.
Affiliations: University of Waterloo (CA)
John Radcliffe Hospital (GB)
ORCID: Cook, Richard J
Venue: BMJ
Publisher: BMJ
Published: 1995-02-18
Volume: 310
Issue: 6977
Pages: 452-454
ISSN: 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
0959-8138
1468-5833
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.310.6977.452
PMC: PMC2548824
OpenAlex: W2111149452
Cited by: 1,885
References: 24
Citations by year: 2026: 27 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 48 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 59 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 60 · 2013: 82 · 2012: 76
FWCI: 52.22
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
Locations: BMJ (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Keywords: number needed to treat, absolute risk reduction, relative risk reduction, relative risk, odds ratio, treatment effect measurement, clinical decision-making, risk-benefit assessment
MeSH terms: Cerebrovascular Disorders, Humans, Hypertension, Statistics as Topic, Odds Ratio, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Risk Assessment

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

The number needed to treat: a clinically useful measure of treatment effect

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks