Randomised placebo controlled multicentre trial to assess short term clarithromycin for patients with stable coronary heart disease: CLARICOR trial

Dear Sir

I read this study with interest and mounting alarm. A quick back-of-
the envelope calculation yields an NNH of 58 (95%ci 30-2400 odd) for all
cause mortality based on the figures in Table 3 - ie, a two week course of
clarithromycin given to patients with ischaemic heart disease may kill as
many as one in sixty within three years or so.

But there appear to be some discrepancies between Tables 2 and 3 (or
at least, on BMJ.com where I read the paper):

In Table 2, "all cause mortality" is given as 184/2172 treated
patients and 159/2200 placebo patients. In Table 3, it is given as
212/2172 treated patients and 172/2200 placebo.

Similarly, "cardiovascular mortality" in the treated group is
variously reported as 89/2172, 83/2172 and 111/2172, in, respectively, the
secondary composite outcome section of Table 2, the tertiary composite
outcome measure section of Table 2, and in Table 3. Similar discrepancies
are given for the placebo group.

By contrast, the same numbers are given for "myocardial infarction/
unstable angina" in Table 2 for the primary and secondary composite
outcomes, but then a different set of numbers in the tertiary composite
outcome.

Could the authors explain the discrepancy? Have I missed something?

Competing interests:
None declared