Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21569392›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2011

Calculating unreported confidence intervals for paired data.

Karim F Hirji, Morten W Fagerland

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Interventions for chronic palmoplantar pustulosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
    Pooled it
  4. Oxygen therapy for interstitial lung disease: a systematic review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2017
    Pooled it
  5. Wound drainage for lower limb arterial surgery.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016
    Pooled it
  6. Article
  7. What factors predict cervical sagittal alignment restoration after correction of thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with severe thoracic hypokyphosis? A multicenter retrospective study of 57 patients.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
    Article
  8. Observational
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Macrolide antibiotics and the risk of ventricular arrhythmia in older adults.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2016
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Karim F HirjiDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Morten W Fagerland

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundConfidence intervals (or associated standard errors) facilitate assessment of the practical importance of the findings of a health study, and their incorporation into a meta-analysis. For paired design studies, these items are often not reported. Since the descriptive statistics for such studies are usually presented in the same way as for unpaired designs, direct computation of the standard error is not possible without additional information.

methodsElementary, well-known relationships between standard errors and p-values were used to develop computation schemes for paired mean difference, risk difference, risk ratio and odds ratio.

resultsUnreported confidence intervals for large sample paired binary and numeric data can be computed fairly accurately using simple methods provided the p-value is given. In the case of paired binary data, the design based 2 × 2 table can be reconstructed as well.

conclusionsOur results will facilitate appropriate interpretation of paired design studies, and their incorporation into meta-analyses.

Indexed as

Confidence IntervalsData Interpretation, StatisticalModels, TheoreticalCritical CareCross InfectionHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicMycosesOdds RatioResearch DesignRisk

Identifiers

PMID21569392
PMCPMC3115921

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.