Ancillary Testing (ancillary + testing)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Variation in Ancillary Testing among Pediatric Asthma Patients Seen in Emergency Departments

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007
MHSA, Rachel M. Stanley MD
Background:Variation in the management of acute pediatric asthma within emergency departments is largely unexplored. Objectives:To investigate whether ancillary testing for patients with asthma would be associated with patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. Methods:The authors performed an analysis of a subset of patients from an extensive retrospective chart review of randomly selected charts at all 25 member emergency departments of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were selected for supplemental review and included in this study. Ancillary tests analyzed were chest radiographs and selected blood tests. Hierarchical analyses were performed to describe the associations between ancillary testing and the variables of interest. Results:A total of 12,744 chart abstractions were completed, of which 734 (6%) were patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. Overall, 302 patients with asthma (41%) had ancillary testing. Of the 734 patients with asthma, 198 (27%) had chest radiographs and 104 (14%) had blood tests. Chest radiographs were more likely to be ordered in patients with fever. Less blood testing was associated with physician subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine, patients treated at children's hospitals, higher patient oxygen saturation, and patient disposition to home. Conclusions:Ancillary testing occurred in more than one third of children with asthma, with chest radiographs ordered most frequently. Efforts to reduce the use of chest radiographs should target the management of febrile patients with asthma, whereas efforts to reduce blood testing should target providers without subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine and patients treated in nonchildren's hospitals who are more ill. [source]


Chromogenic in situ hybridization analysis of melastatin mRNA expression in melanomas from American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I and II patients with recurrent melanoma

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2006
L. Hammock
Objective:, To determine whether loss of melastatin (MLSN) is a universal phenomenon in American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I and II melanoma patients who experienced recurrence. Material and methods:, Paraffin blocks of primary melanomas (PMs) were retrieved from 30 patients who had a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy and developed recurrent melanoma (AJCC stage I and II). Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) methods were utilized to evaluate the expression of MLSN mRNA. These results were correlated with clinicopathologic data. Results:, Variable, heterogeneous expression of MLSN mRNA was identified in normal, in situ and invasive melanocytes within and between cases. For the invasive PM component, 24 (80%) had focal, regional or complete loss of MLSN mRNA. The remaining 20% had either regional or total partial downregulation of MLSN mRNA. Intact MLSN mRNA expression was present regionally in 14/30 (47%), with mean relative tumor area of 38%, range 5,85%. Increasing loss of MLSN mRNA significantly correlated with increasing tumor depth and microsatellites (r = 0.1/0.4, p = 0.04). However, thin, AJCC T stage 1a PM had higher relative mean loss than intermediate AJCC T stage 2a/2b/3a thickness PM (65% vs. 34%/48%/25%). Increasing loss of MLSN mRNA significantly impacted on disease free survival (DFS) by multivariate analysis (58 vs. 0% 2 years DFS, , 75 vs. >75% mRNA loss, p = 0.02). Decreased overall survival significantly correlated with increasing age and vascular invasion on multivariate analysis. Conclusion:, Extensive loss of MLSN in PM correlated with aggressive metastatic melanoma. Ancillary testing for MLSN mRNA expression by CISH could offer a means to more accurately identify AJCC stage I and II patients at risk for metastatic disease, who could benefit from adjuvant therapy. [source]


Variation in Ancillary Testing among Pediatric Asthma Patients Seen in Emergency Departments

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007
MHSA, Rachel M. Stanley MD
Background:Variation in the management of acute pediatric asthma within emergency departments is largely unexplored. Objectives:To investigate whether ancillary testing for patients with asthma would be associated with patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. Methods:The authors performed an analysis of a subset of patients from an extensive retrospective chart review of randomly selected charts at all 25 member emergency departments of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were selected for supplemental review and included in this study. Ancillary tests analyzed were chest radiographs and selected blood tests. Hierarchical analyses were performed to describe the associations between ancillary testing and the variables of interest. Results:A total of 12,744 chart abstractions were completed, of which 734 (6%) were patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. Overall, 302 patients with asthma (41%) had ancillary testing. Of the 734 patients with asthma, 198 (27%) had chest radiographs and 104 (14%) had blood tests. Chest radiographs were more likely to be ordered in patients with fever. Less blood testing was associated with physician subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine, patients treated at children's hospitals, higher patient oxygen saturation, and patient disposition to home. Conclusions:Ancillary testing occurred in more than one third of children with asthma, with chest radiographs ordered most frequently. Efforts to reduce the use of chest radiographs should target the management of febrile patients with asthma, whereas efforts to reduce blood testing should target providers without subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine and patients treated in nonchildren's hospitals who are more ill. [source]


Synchronous high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and adenocarcinoma in situ of cervix in a young woman presenting with hyperchromatic crowded groups in the cervical cytology specimen: Report of a case

DIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 11 2008
Nadeem Zafar M.D.
Abstract We report a 29-year-old woman who underwent routine gynecologic evaluation at a community clinic and had a cervical sample drawn for liquid-based cytologic evaluation. At cytology, many hyperchromatic crowded groups (HCG) were present, but a consensus could not be established whether the abnormal cells were primarily glandular or squamous with secondary endocervical glandular involvement. An interpretation of atypical endocervical cells, favor neoplastic, was rendered and biopsy advised if clinically appropriate. At biopsy, the cervix contained synchronous squamous cell carcinoma in situ, secondarily involving endocervical glands, and neighboring adenocarcinoma in situ. Immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 and p16INK4A crisply and precisely stained both the lesions, clearly separating them from the adjacent uninvolved mucosa. This case re-emphasizes the challenge associated with accurate evaluation of HCG at cytology, the significance of ancillary testing for surrogate markers of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection, the need for adjunct testing for HPV-DNA in the setting of HCG at cervical cytology, and a recommendation to set up studies to evaluate the role of surrogate markers of HR-HPV infection in cytologic samples with HCG. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:823,826. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Current management of mucosal melanoma of the head and neck

JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
Jesus E. Medina MD
Abstract While mucosal-based melanomas of the head and neck region are uncommon lesions, when they do arise they usually follow an inexorably aggressive course. Experience with these tumors is, necessarily, limited; as such, well-worked out treatment protocols for the treatment of such lesions are in short supply. It appears as though mucosal melanomas (MuMs) develop more frequently in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus region, and less often in the oral cavity. It seems that the incidence of nodal metastasis is significantly lower for sinonasal MuMs than it is for MuMs of the oral cavity; this observation may influence decisions about performing neck dissection as a function of location of the primary MuM. At present, surgical excision remains the mainstay of treatment; however, anatomical complexities within the region can hamper attempts at complete excision. Radiotherapy has not traditionally been relied on for routine treatment of MuM, although some recent reports have challenged this view. Chemotherapy is, at present, employed principally in the treatment of disseminated disease and for palliation. As a diagnostic matter, MuM belongs to the class of tumors that, on light microscopy, may with some regularity be confused with other malignancies (including sarcomas, plasmacytomas, and carcinomas); as a consequence, this is a diagnosis which is often best confirmed by way of ancillary testing via immunohistochemical studies. A better grasp of the best means of treating MuM will likely come only when large referral centers are able to pool their experiences with these uncommon yet virulent malignancies. J. Surg. Oncol. 2003;83:116,122. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


1241: Failure of pattern recognition

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
V PURVIN
Purpose This course focuses on areas of frequent diagnostic confusion in neuro-ophthalmic diagnosis. Methods The course uses a case-based format. Cases are presented as unknowns, each illustrating the specific clinical feature or features that should point to the correct diagnosis. Results We hope that highlighting common errors in this way will help inspire the clinician to master the material so that such "pitfalls" can be avoided. Conclusion The common theme among the cases is that most neuro-ophthalmic diagnoses derive from the history and careful examination rather than the results of ancillary testing. [source]


1242: Over-reliance on negative test results

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010
V PURVIN
Purpose This course focuses on areas of frequent diagnostic confusion in the field of neuro-ophthalmology. Methods The course uses a case-based method. Cases are presented as unknowns, each illustrating the specific clinical feature or features that should point to the correct diagnosis. Results Certain tests may provide misleading information, apparently "ruling out" a particular disorder, when in fact that is the correct diagnosis. Examples include serologic tests for ocular myasthenia, falsely negative temporal artery biopsy for giant cell arteritis and MRI scans in certain some disorders. Conclusion In order to interpret the results of ancillary testing we must know the clinical features of the disease in question and the limitations of the tests we use. [source]


Variation in Ancillary Testing among Pediatric Asthma Patients Seen in Emergency Departments

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007
MHSA, Rachel M. Stanley MD
Background:Variation in the management of acute pediatric asthma within emergency departments is largely unexplored. Objectives:To investigate whether ancillary testing for patients with asthma would be associated with patient, physician, and hospital characteristics. Methods:The authors performed an analysis of a subset of patients from an extensive retrospective chart review of randomly selected charts at all 25 member emergency departments of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were selected for supplemental review and included in this study. Ancillary tests analyzed were chest radiographs and selected blood tests. Hierarchical analyses were performed to describe the associations between ancillary testing and the variables of interest. Results:A total of 12,744 chart abstractions were completed, of which 734 (6%) were patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. Overall, 302 patients with asthma (41%) had ancillary testing. Of the 734 patients with asthma, 198 (27%) had chest radiographs and 104 (14%) had blood tests. Chest radiographs were more likely to be ordered in patients with fever. Less blood testing was associated with physician subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine, patients treated at children's hospitals, higher patient oxygen saturation, and patient disposition to home. Conclusions:Ancillary testing occurred in more than one third of children with asthma, with chest radiographs ordered most frequently. Efforts to reduce the use of chest radiographs should target the management of febrile patients with asthma, whereas efforts to reduce blood testing should target providers without subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine and patients treated in nonchildren's hospitals who are more ill. [source]