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Useful Screening Test (useful + screening_test)
Selected AbstractsThe value of the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork as a predictor of diabetic polyneuropathy compared with a neurothesiometerDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 6 2004T. Kästenbauer Abstract Aims The aim of the study was to investigate the predictive value of the Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork for detecting diabetic neuropathy and to compare it with an electronic neurothesiometer. Methods In 2022 consecutive diabetic subjects, peripheral polyneuropathy was diagnosed by vibration perception threshold (VPT) at the tip of both great toes using a 128-Hz tuning fork and a neurothesiometer, by simple bedside tests and by the presence of neuropathic symptoms. These evaluations were further combined to diagnose peripheral nerve dysfunction (abnormal bedside tests) and symptomatic neuropathy. VPT was also measured in 175 non-diabetic control subjects to define normal values. Results VPT was normal in 1917 subjects and abnormal in 105 (5.2%) patients when measured by the tuning fork. Patients with an abnormal vibration test were significantly (P < 0.0001) older than subjects with a normal vibration sense, while diabetes duration and HbA1c of the former were also significantly elevated. The same was true for the percentages of an abnormal 10-g monofilament test (66.7% vs. 7.2%, P < 0.0001) and a missing Achilles' tendon reflex (68.6% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.0001). Finally, the VPT measured by the neurothesiometer was 2.5 times higher in patients with an abnormal tuning fork test (32.0 ± 9.8 vs. 12.5 ± 6.4 V, P < 0.0001). The plot of the difference of both methods against their mean yielded a good agreement of the two VPT measurements, and the tuning fork had a high sensitivity and positive predictive value for the diagnosis of abnormal bedside tests and for symptomatic neuropathy. Conclusion The tuning fork reliably detected peripheral neuropathy in comparison with the neurothesiometer. A tuning fork is a useful screening test for diabetic neuropathy. [source] The role of the platelet function analyser (PFA-100TM) in the characterization of patients with von Willebrand's disease and its relationships with von Willebrand factor and the ABO blood groupHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 3 2003I. C. Nitu-Whalley Summary. Determination of the closure time (CT) with the platelet function analyser (PFA-100TM) is a useful screening test for von Willebrand's disease (VWD) but its role in the characterization of VWD is not well established. We studied the relationship between the prolongation of the CT with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (CT-ADP) and epinephrine (CT-EPI) cartridges and the von Willebrand factor (VWF) in 53 patients with VWD. We found that a relatively small percentage of the prolongation of the CT-ADR and CT-ADP (16 and 29%, respectively) was determined by a reduction in VWF levels. The CT-ADP was significantly more prolonged in the presence of qualitative defects in VWF but could not discriminate between the VWD subtypes. The ABO blood group had no effect on the prolongation of the CT or the bleeding time. In conclusion, the PFA-100TM appears of little use in the characterization of severity and subtype of VWD. [source] A prospective comparative study between hysterosalpingography and hysteroscopy in the detection of intrauterine pathology in patients with infertilityJOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2003Sangchai Preutthipan Abstract Aim: ,To investigate the accuracy of hysterosalpingography (HSG) in comparison to hysteroscopy in the detection of intrauterine pathology in patients with infertility, where hysteroscopy is the gold standard. Methods: ,A prospective, comparative study included 336 patients undergoing both HSG and diagnostic hysteroscopy. Main outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy rate of HSG. Results: ,Intrauterine abnormalities were shown on HSG in 286 patients and confirmed in 200 at hysteroscopy. Contrarily intrauterine lesions were detected by hysteroscopy in 4 out of 50 patients in whom HSG were normal. The most common intrauterine finding of 336 patients on hysteroscopy were intrauterine adhesions (IUA) (74), followed by endometrial polyps (56), and submucous myoma, 26 patients. Statistical analysis revealed that HSG in the detection of intrauterine pathology had a sensitivity of 98.0%, specificity of 34.9%, positive predictive value of 69.9%, negative predictive value of 92.0%, and accuracy rate of 73.2% with false-positive and false-negative rates of 30.1% and 8.0%, respectively. The common incorrect diagnoses of HSG were misdiagnosing a condition of cervical stenosis as severe IUA in 24 patients, endometrial polyps as submucous myoma in 22 out of 50 patients, and submucous myoma as endometrial polyps in 12 out of 72 patients. Conclusions: ,Hysterosalpingography is still a useful screening test for the evaluation of the uterine cavity. If a hysterogram demonstrates intrauterine abnormalities, hysteroscopy should be considered to make a definite diagnosis and treatment. Both procedures should be complementary to each other. [source] Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Concentration in Cats with Diabetes Mellitus and AcromegalyJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2007Rebecca I.M. Berg Background: Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been used in place of serum growth hormone quantification for identifying acromegaly in diabetic cats. The utility of IGF-I as a screening test for acromegaly has not been critically evaluated. This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of serum IGF-I concentration for identifying acromegaly. Hypothesis: Serum IGF-I is a useful screening test for acromegaly in diabetic cats. Animals: A review was made of the medical records of 74 diabetic cats that had serum IGF-I quantified. The diabetes was classified as well controlled (15 cats), poorly controlled because of problems with the insulin treatment regimen, concurrent disease, or both (40), or poorly controlled with clinical findings consistent with acromegaly (19). Methods: A review of medical records was made. Results: Serum IGF-I concentration was significantly (P < .0001) increased in acromegalic diabetic cats, compared with well-controlled and poorly controlled diabetic cats. Sensitivity and specificity for serum IGF-I concentration were 84% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 60.4,96.6%) and 92% (95% CI = 81.3,97.2%), respectively. There was no significant correlation between serum IGF-I concentration and duration of insulin treatment (r = 0.23, P= .089), insulin dosage (r = 0.14, P= .30), age (r = 0.16, P= .12), and pituitary volume (r = 0.40, P= .11), but a modest correlation was found between serum IGF-I concentration and body weight (r = 0.48, P < .0001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Results support the use of serum IGF-I concentration as a screening test for acromegaly in diabetic cats that have clinical findings supportive of the disease. [source] Fasting capillary glucose as a screening test for gestational diabetes mellitusBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 9 2006H Fadl Objective, To evaluate fasting capillary glucose as a screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with traditional risk factors and repeated random capillary glucose measurements. Design, Cross-sectional, population-based study. Setting, Maternal Health Care Clinics in Örebro County, Sweden. Population, An unselected population of women without diabetes. Methods, Fasting capillary glucose levels were measured at gestational weeks 28,32. Random capillary glucose levels were measured four to six times during pregnancy. Traditional risk factors for GDM were registered. GDM was diagnosed using a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Main outcome measures, Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios. Results, In 55 of 3616 women participating in the study, GDM was diagnosed before 34 weeks of gestation. For fasting capillary glucose cutoff values between 4.0 and 5.0 mmol/l, sensitivity was in the range between 87 and 47% and specificity between 51 and 96%. Using a combined screening model of traditional risk factors with fasting capillary glucose at various cutoff values increased the sensitivity only slightly compared with using fasting capillary glucose alone. Conclusion, In this Swedish, unselected, low-risk population, fasting capillary glucose measurements were found to be an acceptable and useful screening test for GDM. [source] | ||||||||||