Respiratory

Condition or Disorder	Intervention vs. Control	Outcome	Follow-up Duration	Event Rates %		NNT (95% CI)
				CER	EER
Acute asthma1	Budesonide vs. placebo	Relapse	21 days	25	13	9 (5 to 179)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)2	Glucocorticoids vs. placebo	First treatment failure (death, need for intubation and mechanical ventilation, readmission for COPD, or intensification of drug therapy)	1 and 3 months	1 month: 33	1 month: 23	10 (5 to infinity)
				3 months: 48	3 months: 37	9 (4 to infinity)
Children with asthma3	Structured discharge packages vs. usual discharge packages at the time of discharge	Readmission to hospital	6 months	38	15	5 (3 to 12)
Smoking cessation; using a nicotine inhaler4	Nicotine inhalers vs. placebo	Self reported abstinence from smoking (verified by laboratory measurements)	1 year	18	29	10 (5 to 483)
Smoking cessation rates5	Intensive intervention (which includes a 30 minute behavioral counseling session given by nurses, a videotape from the American Heart Association and an audiotape of relaxation exercises vs. usual care (which includes printed material and a list of partially subsidized outpatient cessation programs)	Confirmed smoking cessation	12 months	20	27	16 (9 to 25)
asthma; effectiveness in treating inner city patients6	Educational program vs. conventional asthma care and routine follow-up	Attendance at follow up appointments, subsequent ED visits and hospitalization	6 months	27	59	3 (2 to 11)
Asthma7	Asthma clinic vs. standard treatment group	Owning a peak flow meter	6 months	56	73	6 (3 to 31)
		Waking at night because of asthma		20	7.0	8 (4 to 29)
Acute-on-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease8	Standard treatment plus pressure supported ventilation through a face or nasal mask vs. standard treatment alone	Need for intubation	After discharge	27	15	9 (5 to 69)
		Death		20	10	10 (6 to 98)
Acute respiratory distress syndrome9	Lower tidal volumes vs. traditional tidal volumes (control)	Death	180 days	40	31	12 (7 to 41)
Pulmonary infiltrates10	Ciprofloxacin vs. control (physician-directed antibiotics)	Mortality	30 days	31	13	Not significant
		Resistance or superinfection		38	14	5 (3 to 22)

References

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1. JAMA. 9 Jun 1999; 281: 2119-26 
2. N Engl J Med. 24 Jun 1999; 340:1941-7 
3. Arch Dis Child. Feb 1999; 80: 110-4 
4. Arch Intern Med. 11/25 Aug 1997; 157: 1721-8 
5. Arch Intern Med. 24 Feb 1997; 157: 409-15 
6. Arch Intern Med. 9/23 Aug 1999; 159: 1710-6 
7. Med J Aust. Jul 19, 1999; 171: 68-71 
8. Lancet. Jun 3, 2000; 355: 1931-5 
9. N Engl J Med. May 4, 2000; 342: 1301-8 
10. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Aug 2000; 162: 505-11