Problem: If you were the researcher for this study, what would be your hypothesis for this study and would you immediately set the alpha level at 0.001 or 0.05? Why? (Read the methodology below)
Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 55 adult asthmatic patients with peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) less than 200 L/min were randomly assigned to nebulization treatment with albuterol alone (2.5 mg initial dose followed by 2 more doses at 20-minute intervals), or the same albuterol regimen plus ipratropium (.5 mg combined with the initial dose of albuterol only). Patients were recruited from an emergency department at an urban academic medical center. The primary endpoints were changes in PEFR and in percent predicted PEFR over time (ie, treatment by time effect). PEFRs were assessed at baseline and at 20-minute intervals for a 1-hour period. The proportion of admissions in the two groups was examined as secondary endpoints.