Statistical Issues in the Oliceridine versus Sufentanil Trial for Elderly Thoracoscopic Surgery [Letter]

Cai et al conducted a randomized double-blind trial comparing oliceridine with sufentanil for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia in 247 elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung surgery. 1 The authors concluded that oliceridine increased the proportion of patients achieving satisfactory analgesia with minimal emesis (SAME) within the first three postoperative days (46.3% vs 32.3%; P=0.023) and provided better early recovery.The study addresses a clinically important topic, and the overall design is commendable.However, we would like to respectfully raise three methodological points that may help readers interpret the findings and inform future research.