less than five patients

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less than five patients" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a quantity of patients that is fewer than five, often in medical or research contexts. Example: "The study included less than five patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

Inclusion of less than five patients.

International Journal of Implant Dentistry

Studies involving less than five patients were excluded from the present review.

Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Studies with less than five patients were excluded, and six papers encompassing a total of 101 patients were included (Table 2).

Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Treatments used in less than five patients or which were clearly ineffective were not pooled in the statistical analysis, even if reported.

The Journal of Headache and Pain

All study designs were included with the exception of case reports, case series (less than five patients), and case-control studies.

EJNMMI Research

Studies that had less than five patients or cases were excluded as well as studies whose cases lacked data or were not clearly defined.

International Journal of Implant Dentistry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

1. Case reports and studies which included less than six patients.

International Journal of Implant Dentistry

Published series of tuberculous optic neuropathy, however, have totaled to less than ten patients and/or been limited to patients with tuberculous meningitis.

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

Articles considered as irrelevant, redundant, with insufficient outcome data reported or less than three patients (including at least one in each treatment arm), or including patients under 18 were excluded.

Annals of Intensive Care

Less than ten patients refused to participate, mainly due to time constraints.

BMC Family Practice

The splitting was stopped when it produced strata with less than three patients per treatment arm.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting research results, be specific about why a small sample size like "less than five patients" matters. Discuss limitations in statistical power or generalizability.

Common error

Avoid drawing strong conclusions from data derived from "less than five patients". Small sample sizes are prone to bias and may not accurately represent the broader population.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less than five patients" functions primarily as a quantitative descriptor, specifying a numerical range for a group of individuals. Ludwig AI confirms this usage in various contexts, often related to research criteria or statistical analysis.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

100%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "less than five patients" is a common and grammatically correct way to indicate a small number of patients, frequently appearing in scientific and medical literature. Ludwig AI's analysis, supported by numerous examples, shows its primary function is to quantitatively describe small patient groups, often in the context of research study criteria or limitations. The phrase conveys precision and objectivity, fitting the formal and scientific register. While simple, it’s crucial to use this phrase accurately, recognizing the statistical implications of such small sample sizes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

under five patients

Replaces "less than" with "under", a synonym in this context, maintaining the meaning and grammatical structure.

fewer than five patients

Substitutes "less than" with "fewer than", which is grammatically more precise when referring to countable nouns like "patients".

a small number of patients (less than five)

Rephrases to emphasize the small quantity while retaining the original numerical limit in parentheses.

limited number of patients (under five)

Highlights the scarcity of patients and specifies the exact quantity in parentheses.

no more than four patients

Specifies the upper limit of the range, making it clear that the count does not exceed four.

patient group of four or fewer

Clarifies the upper limit of the patient group size using alternative wording.

not exceeding four patients

Expresses the upper boundary of the patient count, indicating it cannot be higher than four.

a handful of patients

Uses an idiomatic expression to convey a small quantity, though it is less precise than a numerical limit.

restricted to fewer than five patients

Focuses on the constraint or limitation imposed on the patient count.

a minimal patient cohort

Emphasizes the small size of the patient group within a study or treatment context.

FAQs

When is it appropriate to use "less than five patients" in a research paper?

It's appropriate when you need to specify a small patient count, often when discussing inclusion/exclusion criteria, describing study limitations, or grouping infrequent occurrences. Be sure to justify why reporting "less than five patients" is relevant to your analysis.

What are some alternatives to saying "less than five patients"?

You can use alternatives like "fewer than five patients", "under five patients", or "a small number of patients" depending on the context and desired level of formality. The phrase "a handful of patients" could also be used in some situations.

Is there a minimum number of patients required for a case series to be considered valid?

While there's no universally accepted minimum, case series with "less than five patients" are often considered preliminary and may lack statistical power. Studies with a larger patient population generally provide more robust evidence.

How does a small sample size (e.g., "less than five patients") affect statistical analysis?

Small sample sizes like "less than five patients" can lead to statistically insignificant results, even if a real effect exists. They also increase the risk of Type II errors (false negatives) and limit the generalizability of findings.