Question

You are enrolling pediatric patients who are at an increased risk for cardiac events, and enrollment is almost complete. You have one spot in your study left, and you’d like to enroll the patient who is at the greatest risk for a cardiac event based on an enlarged distal ascending aorta. You have a 5 year old patient and a 10 year old patient being considered for inclusion in the study. The expected mean distal ascending aorta is equal to 15.2 mm in diameter with a standard deviation of 1.25 for five year olds. For 10 year olds, the expected mean is equal to 18.8 mm with a standard deviation of 1.5. Given this information, you need to choose between enrolling a 5 year old whose distal ascending aorta is equal to 15.3 mm, or a 10 year old patient whose distal ascending aorta is equal to 19.2 mm. Which patient should you select?

Would you change your conclusion if the 5 year old patients values were 16.3 instead?

Answer 1