Application of flow diagram to Scenario 2
| 1. Research question | For patients treated for age-related macular degeneration, are SAEs more common on ranibizumab or bevacizumab? A meta-analysis of the CATT and IVAN trials |
| 2. Null hypothesis | There is no difference in SAE risk between patients in Group A (ranibizumab) and Group B (bevacizumab). |
| 3. Result | Odds of 1 or more SAE in bevacizumab=314/568 Odds of 1 or more SAE in ranibizumab=271/642 OR=0.76 95% CI=0.63 to 0.93 p=0.003 |
| 4. Interpretation | Individual trial results: OR for IVAN trial=0.94 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.35) and OR for CATT trial=0.70 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.89). The results of the meta-analysis indicate the need for patients to be informed of the disparity in reported rates of SAEs between the two drugs. |
CATT, comparison of age-related macular degeneration treatments trial; IVAN, inhibition of VEGF in age-related choroidal neovascularisation; SAE, serious adverse event.