Antibiotics v placebo for acute otitis media in children*
| Outcomes at ⩽56 days | Number of trials (patients) | Weighted event rates | RRI (95% CI) | NNH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antibiotics | Placebo | ||||
| *Abbreviations defined in glossary; weighted event rates, RRI, RRR, NNH, NNT, and CI calculated from data in article using a fixed effects model. | |||||
| Pain at ⩽24 hours | 3 (717) | 38% | 37% | 2% (−15 to 22) | Not significant |
| RRR (CI) | NNT (CI) | ||||
| Pain at 2–7 days | 8 (2287) | 15% | 22% | 30% (19 to 40) | 15 (10 to 25) |
| Recurrence | 5 (1669) | 22% | 22% | 0% (−19 to 17) | Not significant |
| RRI (CI) | NNH (CI) | ||||
| Vomiting, diarrhoea, or rash | 4 (938) | 17% | 11% | 60 (19 to 116) | 17 (10 to 50) |