Terms Used to Show the Magnitude and Precision of the Treatment Effect (Decreased Risk of Anastomotic Stricture With the Hand-Sewn Technique)*
| Term | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute risk reduction | Absolute reduction in events in one group compared with the other | 40% – 9% = 31% absolute risk reduction for stricture with the hand-sewn technique |
| Relative risk | Risk of events in one group relative to the other | 9% ÷ 40% = 0.22 relative risk of stricture with the hand-sewn technique |
| Relative risk reduction | Complement of relative risk, expressed as a percentage | 1 – 0.22 = 0.78 × 100 = 78% reduction in stricture risk with the hand-sewn technique |
| 95% confidence interval | An interval of values that include the true value 95% of the time (calculated) | 78% (CI 47% to 90%) reduction in stricture risk with the hand-sewn technique |
↵* Data used in the table were taken from the article by Laws and associates. (12)