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Talk:Number needed to treat

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This article is within the scope of the clinical evidence working group.

This is the discussion page for the article Number needed to treat. It is for improving the article: sources, wording, structure, scope and titles. It is not a general discussion forum about the subject, and it is not a place to ask for advice — see Project:Medical disclaimer.

Worked example from SELECTResolved

Working the arithmetic on a real trial rather than a hypothetical is what makes this article useful. The 67-over-3.3-years figure is checkable from the publication. — NNT_Nerys (talk) 09:50, 12 February 2026 (UTC)

And pairing it with the number needed to harm from the same trial is the part most readers will not have seen done. ✓ Done — PlainNumbersPip (talk) 13:25, 12 February 2026 (UTC)

Resolved. This thread is closed. Reopening it is fine if new sources appear; please add a new subsection rather than editing the closed discussion.

Incommensurable outcomesDone

"A cardiovascular event and a discontinuation are not commensurable, and no arithmetic makes them so" — necessary caveat, otherwise the side-by-side presentation implies a trade that can be computed. — BalanceBirdie (talk) 10:15, 4 May 2026 (UTC)

Agreed. The presentation is to inform a judgement, not to replace it. ✓ Done — NNT_Nerys (talk) 13:50, 4 May 2026 (UTC)

Done. This thread is closed. Reopening it is fine if new sources appear; please add a new subsection rather than editing the closed discussion.
This page was last edited on 4 May 2026, by NNT_Nerys. Text is available under the PeptidePedia Wiki Content Licence (PPCL-BY-SA 4.0).