In a big community hospital, plasma homocysteine levels are examined in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The average plasma homocysteine level in this cohort is 11.1 mol/L, with a standard deviation of 1.2 mol/L. The mean plasma level in a different group of patients hospitalized on the general ward at the same hospital is 9.5 mol/L, with a standard deviation of 1.3 mol/L. Which of the following statistical techniques should be used to compare the mean homocysteine levels of these two patient groups?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The two-sample t test is commonly employed to determine if the means of 2 populations are equal. Several statistical approaches can be used, but the basic numerical requirements needed to perform this test are the 2 mean values, the sample variances (eg, standard deviations), and the sample sizes. The t statistic is then calculated, from which the p value can be determined. If p < 0.05, the null hypothesis (which assumes that there is no difference between 2 groups) is rejected and the 2 means are assumed to be statistically different.

In a Big Community Hospital, Plasma Homocysteine Levels Are Examined