When calculating percent reduction from Tmax, what value should be used?

• A. The average of untreated readings
• B. The lowest untreated reading
• C. The highest untreated reading
• D. The median reading

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to anchor the percent reduction to the starting maximum value seen when untreated. When you assess how much a treatment reduces Tmax, you measure against the highest baseline reading, because that represents the worst or peak state before any intervention. Using the highest untreated reading as the reference keeps the percentage meaningful and comparable across patients, since it reflects the true amount of improvement from the maximal untreated level.

Using an average or median of untreated readings would mix different baselines and blur what the patient actually started from, while using the lowest untreated reading would underrepresent the initial severity and inflate the percent reduction. Therefore, the highest untreated reading is the appropriate reference for percent reduction from Tmax.