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Abstract #10746 Published in IGR 6-2
Clinical trials on glaucoma: differences according to the medical or surgical nature of the treatment being evaluated
Martinez Sanz F; Llorca J; Prieto Salceda D; Farinas Alvarez C; Chinchon MV; Delgado Rodriguez MArchivos de la Sociedad Española de Oftalmologia 2004; 79: 111-7
PURPOSE: To compare the quality of clinical trials on glaucoma between those evaluating the effectiveness of medical treatments and those evaluating surgical treatments. METHOD: Clinical trials on glaucoma published in seven international journals between January 1980 and December 1999 were selected. The papers were revised by researchers with a background in epidemiology using a standard qualitative questionnaire. Proportions were compared using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Sample size was pre-estimated in 19% of medical treatment trials and 2% of surgical trials (p=0.005); masking (72% vs. 9%; p<0.001) and intention-to-treat analysis (17 vs. 0 papers; p<0.001) were also more frequent in medical trials. Only 50% of the trials correctly described the patient flow. CONCLUSIONS: Quality in clinical trials on glaucoma medical treatment was higher than in surgical trials regarding sample size pre-estimation, masking and intention-to-treat analysis. However, both medical and surgical trials should improve in these aspects and in the patient flow description. LA: Spanish
Servicio de Oftalmologia, Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla.
