Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Overoptimism in the interpretation of statistics

The ethical role of statistical reviewers in medical journals

  • What's New in Intensive Care
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Bland M (2000) Fatigue and psychological distress. Statistics are improbable. BMJ 320:515–516

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Altman DG (2002) Poor-quality medical research: what can journals do? J Am Med Assoc 287:2765–2767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Altman DG (1998) Statistical reviewing for medical journals. Stat Med 17:2661–2674

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Altman DG, Bland JM (1994) Diagnostic tests 2: predictive values. BMJ 309:102

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lee JM, Bae W, Lee YJ, Cho YJ (2014) The efficacy and safety of prone positional ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome: updated study-level meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials. Crit Care Med 42:1252–1262

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sud S, Friedrich JO, Adhikari NK, Taccone P, Mancebo J, Polli F, Latini R, Pesenti A, Curley MA, Fernandez R, Chan MC, Beuret P, Voggenreiter G, Sud M, Tognoni G, Gattinoni L, Guerin C (2014) Effect of prone positioning during mechanical ventilation on mortality among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CMAJ 186:E381–390

  7. Assmann SF, Pocock SJ, Enos LE, Kasten LE (2000) Subgroup analysis and other (mis)uses of baseline data in clinical trials. Lancet 355:1064–1069

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ioannidis JP (2008) Interpretation of tests of heterogeneity and bias in meta-analysis. J Eval Clin Pract 14:951–957

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Higgins JP, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, Altman DG (2003) Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ 327:557–560

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Beitler JR, Shaefi S, Montesi SB, Devlin A, Loring SH, Talmor D, Malhotra A (2014) Prone positioning reduces mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome in the low tidal volume era: a meta-analysis. Intensive Care Med 40:332–341

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sud S, Friedrich JO, Taccone P, Polli F, Adhikari NK, Latini R, Pesenti A, Guerin C, Mancebo J, Curley MA, Fernandez R, Chan MC, Beuret P, Voggenreiter G, Sud M, Tognoni G, Gattinoni L (2010) Prone ventilation reduces mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure and severe hypoxemia: systematic review and meta-analysis. Intensive Care Med 36:585–599

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Guerin C, Reignier J, Richard JC, Beuret P, Gacouin A, Boulain T, Mercier E, Badet M, Mercat A, Baudin O, Clavel M, Chatellier D, Jaber S, Rosselli S, Mancebo J, Sirodot M, Hilbert G, Bengler C, Richecoeur J, Gainnier M, Bayle F, Bourdin G, Leray V, Girard R, Baboi L, Ayzac L, PROSEVA Study Group (2013) Prone positioning in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med 368:2159–2168

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ioannidis JP, Trikalinos TA (2007) The appropriateness of asymmetry tests for publication bias in meta-analyses: a large survey. CMAJ 176:1091–1096

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Altman DG (1980) Statistics and ethics in medical research. Misuse of statistics is unethical. Br Med J 281:1182–1184

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Clec’h C, Ferriere F, Karoubi P, Fosse JP, Cupa M, Hoang P, Cohen Y (2004) Diagnostic and prognostic value of procalcitonin in patients with septic shock. Crit Care Med 32:1166–1169

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest. DP has been part of the statistical board of Intensive Care Medicine since 2009. GB was a member of the editorial board of Intensive Care Medicine for statistical review from 2009 to 2012.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Operative Unit of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Hospital, 32100, Belluno, Italy

    Daniele Poole

  2. GiViTI Coordinating Center, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Centro di Ricerche Cliniche per le Malattie Rare Aldo e Cele Daccò, 24020 Ranica, Bergamo, Italy

    Giovanni Nattino & Guido Bertolini

Authors
  1. Daniele Poole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni Nattino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guido Bertolini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniele Poole.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Poole, D., Nattino, G. & Bertolini, G. Overoptimism in the interpretation of statistics. Intensive Care Med 40, 1927–1929 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-014-3510-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-014-3510-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation