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Biostatistics & Research · single question

A study compares articaine and lidocaine efficacy with RR=3.1, p<0.001, 95% CI. What can you conclude?

  1. Efficacy cannot be determined from this data
  2. Both have the same efficacy
  3. Articaine is significantly more effective than lidocaine
  4. Lidocaine is significantly more effective than articaine
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Articaine is significantly more effective than lidocaine

  • A. The data (RR=3.1, p<0.001, 95% CI) provides sufficient information to draw a conclusion.
  • B. RR=1.0 would indicate equal efficacy. RR=3.1 clearly shows a difference.
  • C. RR (relative risk/ratio) of 3.1 means the articaine group had 3.1 times the success rate of the lidocaine group. p<0.001 means the result is highly statistically significant (extremely unlikely due to chance). 95% CI that presumably excludes 1.0 confirms significance. Therefore, articaine is significantly MORE effective than lidocaine in this study.
  • D. RR>1 means the exposed/intervention group (articaine) has higher success, not lidocaine.

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