Sir,
We agree with Raina et al. about a more effective presentation of data in Table 1.[1,2] It is however important to point out that some of the group populations listed contained an overlap and were not meant to be added together due to such an intended crossover. In order to make the information easier to interpret, and thus more clinically relevant, a reformatting of Table 1 is presented. The groups are now fleshed out of the composite figures presented initially.
Table 1.
Revised patient demographics
| Variable | Overall (n = 712) | No CM or NPM (n = 276) | CM only (n = 185) | NPM Only (n = 97) | Both CM and NPM (n = 154) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean±SD) | 63.5±13.6 | 57.5±11.3 | 67.0±13.7 | 59.2±12.2 | 70.6±12.8 |
| Male gender (%) | 56% | 69% | 57% | 52% | 47% |
| Injury severity score (median, range) | 8 (4-11) | 6 (4-12) | 9 (4-14) | 4 (3-11) | 9 (4-14) |
| Mortality (%) | 5.8% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 3.0% | 12.0% |
CM = Cardiac medication, NPM = Neuropsychiatric medication
References
- 1.Wisler JR, Springer AN, Hateley K, Mo XM, Evans DC, Cook CH, et al. Pre-injury neuro-psychiatric medication use, alone or in combination with cardiac medications, may affect outcomes in trauma patients. J Postgrad Med. 2014;60:366–71. doi: 10.4103/0022-3859.143957. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Raina SK, Chander V. Use of visual aids in presenting study results. J Postgrad Med. 2014;61:56–7. doi: 10.4103/0022-3859.147059. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]