Transcervical mediastinoscopy in patients with a permanent tracheostomy: is it feasible?

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-741
Author(s):  
Levent Cansever ◽  
Yunus Seyrek ◽  
Ali Cevat Kutluk ◽  
Hasan Akin ◽  
Celalettin Ibrahim Kocaturk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thoracic Surgery ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Total Laryngectomy ◽  
Cancer Staging ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Endobronchial Ultrasonography ◽  
Average Operative Time ◽  
Surgery Education

Abstract OBJECTIVES Cervical mediastinoscopy may become essential in patients with pathological lymph nodes at mediastinum after laryngectomy. However, having had a previous tracheostomy has been reported to be a contraindication for cervical mediastinoscopy. METHODS Between January 2010 and December 2017, cervical mediastinoscopy was performed for lung cancer staging in 1985 patients at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Eighteen of these patients (1%) had a permanent tracheostomy after total laryngectomy and cervical radiotherapy due to laryngeal carcinoma. RESULTS Cervical mediastinoscopy was performed in 18 patients with a permanent tracheostomy after total laryngectomy. The negative predictive value of cervical mediastinoscopy was 13/14 (93%). The average operative time was 63 min (SD 12.0, range 50–90 min). The negative predictive value of endobronchial ultrasonography was 4/7 (57%). Positron emission tomography–computed tomography had a positive predictive value of 3/15 (20%) and a negative predictive value of 2/3 (67%). CONCLUSIONS Contrary to the claims of 2 textbooks, cervical mediastinoscopy is a viable method for patients with a tracheostomy after laryngectomy. The negative predictive values of standard cervical mediastinoscopy and mediastinoscopy for patients with a tracheostomy after total laryngectomy are approximately equivalent. Our results indicate that cervical mediastinoscopy is a feasible method in patients with a permanent tracheostomy when applied by experienced thoracic surgeons in specialized hospitals.

scholarly journals Screening for aneurysms of the abdominal aorta using a simple screening device

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Brakel ◽  
T. A. Berendsen ◽  
P. M. C. Callenbach ◽  
J. van der Burgh ◽  
R. J. Hissink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Abdominal Aorta ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Abdominal Ultrasound ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Bladder Scan ◽  
Health Council ◽  
Screening Device

Abstract Introduction Several countries advocate screening for aneurysms of the abdominal aorta (AAA) in selected patients. In the Netherlands, routine screening is currently under review by the National Health Council. In any screening programme, cost-efficiency and accuracy are key. In this study, we evaluate the Aorta Scan (Verathon, Amsterdam, Netherlands), a cost-effective and easy-to-use screening device based on bladder scan technology, which enables untrained personnel to screen for AAA. Methods We subjected 117 patients to an Aorta Scan and compared the results to the gold standard (abdominal ultrasound). We used statistical analysis to determine sensitivity and specificity of the Aorta Scan, as well as the positive and negative predictive values, accuracy, and inter-test agreement (Kappa). Results Sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 and 0.98, respectively. Positive predictive value was 0.98 and negative predictive value was 0.88. Accuracy was determined at 0.92 and the Kappa value was 0.85. When waist–hip circumferences (WHC) of > 115 cm were excluded, sensitivity raised to 0.96, specificity stayed 0.98, positive and negative predictive value were 0.98 and 0.96, respectively, accuracy to 0.97, and Kappa to 0.94. Conclusion Herein, we show that the Aorta Scan is a cost-effective and very accurate screening tool, especially in patients with WHC below 115 cm, which makes it a suitable candidate for implementation into clinical practice, specifically in the setting of screening selected populations for the presence of AAA.

scholarly journals Foundational Statistical Principles in Medical Research: Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, and Negative Predictive Value

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Monaghan ◽  
Syed N. Rahman ◽  
Christina W. Agudelo ◽  
Alan J. Wein ◽  
Jason M. Lazar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Medical Literature ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Positive Test Result ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity ◽  
Test Result ◽  
Test Probability

Sensitivity, which denotes the proportion of subjects correctly given a positive assignment out of all subjects who are actually positive for the outcome, indicates how well a test can classify subjects who truly have the outcome of interest. Specificity, which denotes the proportion of subjects correctly given a negative assignment out of all subjects who are actually negative for the outcome, indicates how well a test can classify subjects who truly do not have the outcome of interest. Positive predictive value reflects the proportion of subjects with a positive test result who truly have the outcome of interest. Negative predictive value reflects the proportion of subjects with a negative test result who truly do not have the outcome of interest. Sensitivity and specificity are inversely related, wherein one increases as the other decreases, but are generally considered stable for a given test, whereas positive and negative predictive values do inherently vary with pre-test probability (e.g., changes in population disease prevalence). This article will further detail the concepts of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values using a recent real-world example from the medical literature.

scholarly journals Sensitivity and Negative Predictive Value of Motor Evoked Potentials of the Facial Nerve

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Bovo ◽  
Shahan Momjian ◽  
Renato Gondar ◽  
Philippe Bijlenga ◽  
Karl Schaller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Nerve ◽  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Patient Group ◽  
Vestibular Schwannoma ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Cerebellopontine Angle ◽  
Motor Evoked Potentials ◽  
Vestibular Schwannomas ◽  
Predictive Values

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to determine the performance of the standard alarm criterion of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of the facial nerve in surgeries performed for resections of vestibular schwannomas or of other lesions of the cerebellopontine angle. Methods This retrospective study included 33 patients (16 with vestibular schwannomas and 17 with other lesions) who underwent the resection surgery with transcranial MEPs of the facial nerve. A reproducible 50% decrease in MEP amplitude, resistant to a 10% increase in stimulation intensity, was applied as the alarm criterion during surgery. Facial muscular function was clinically evaluated with the House–Brackmann score (HBS), pre- and postsurgery at 3 months. Results In the patient group with vestibular schwannoma, postoperatively, the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values were found for a 30% decrease in MEP amplitude, that is, a criterion stricter than the 50% decrease in MEP amplitude criterion, prone to trigger more warnings, used intraoperatively. With this new criterion, the sensitivity would be 88.9% and the negative predictive value would be 85.7%. In the patient group with other lesions of the cerebellopontine angle, the highest sensitivity and negative predictive values were found equally for 50, 60, or 70% decrease in MEP amplitude. With these criteria, the sensitivities and the negative predictive values would be 100.0%. Conclusion Different alarm criteria were found for surgeries for vestibular schwannomas and for other lesions of the cerebellopontine angle. The study consolidates the stricter alarm criterion, that is, a criterion prone to trigger early warnings, as found previously by others for vestibular schwannoma surgeries (30% decrease in MEP amplitude).

scholarly journals Evaluating Specivity, Sensitivity, Positive and Negative Predictive Values of CA125 for Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-203
Author(s):  
Elahe Fini ◽  
◽  
Neda Nasirian ◽  
Bahram Hosein Beigy ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Tumor Marker ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Screening Test ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values

Background and Aim: Ovarian cancer is among the most common cancers in women worldwide. CA125 is the most frequent biomarker used in the screening for ovarian cancer. CA125 has no high sensitivity and specificity as a screening test in the medical community; however, because of being simple and noninvasive, it is almost always requested for evaluation and ruling out cancer. It plays an important role in the treatment and post-treatment process, the prediction of prognosis, and the relapse of the disease. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between a high level of CA125 tumor marker and ovarian cancer by detecting spesivity, sensivity, positive and negative predictive values. Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, all cases undergoing CA125 test in Velayat Hospital in 2017-1028 were evaluated for having ovarian cancer. In addition, the CA125 level was compared between healthy individuals and patients with ovarian cancer. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS. Ethical Considerations: The present study was approved by the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (Ethics Code: IR.QUMS.REC.1396.316). Results: In this study, 35.3% of the study participants received a definite diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Generally, CA125 values were negative in 41.8% and positive in.58.2% of the study subjects. The sensitivity of the test was measured as 80.1%, the specivity as 53.6%, the positive predictive value equaled 48.4%, and the negative predictive value was measured as 83%. There was a significant relationship between age and the presence of ovarian cancer, and serum CA125 levels. Conclusion: The present study suggested that age and the serum level of CA125 were statistically significant. Finally, CA125 levels were significantly related to ovarian cancer. It provided moderate specivity and specivity as well as low positive predictive value and high negative predictive value as a tumor marker; it is valuable for ruling out of tumor but not appropriate as a screening test.

Neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid gland surgery – results and experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-96
Author(s):  
Jiří Hložek ◽  
Jan Rotnágl ◽  
Jaromír Astl
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Gland ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Operative Strategy ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Group A ◽  
Group B ◽  
Neural Monitoring

Paresis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is one of the serious complications of thyroid and parathyroid gland surgery. The intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) enables to verify the functionality of RLN. The aim of this study is to compare the incidence of postoperative RLN palsy in patients who underwent surgery with and without the use of IONM RLN and to evaluate the positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, specifi city and accuracy of the method. Methods: Retrospective analysis of thyroid gland surgeries performed within the period from 1. 7. 2016 to 1. 7. 2018. A total of 467 operations were performed (780 nerves exposed). One hundred and thirty procedures (215 nerves) were carried out without IONM (group A). In total, 337 procedures (565 nerves) were performed with IONM (group B). Results: In group A, unilateral postoperative RLN paresis occurred in 7 cases (3.26%); 6 of them were temporary (2.79%) and 1 was permanent (0.47%). In group B, unilateral postoperative RLN paresis occurred in 33 cases (5.84%); 32 of them were temporary (5.66%) and 1 was permanent (0.18%). The incidence of postoperative RLN paresis related to the use of IONM was not considered statistically signifi cant. (Chi-square test: P = 0.146; Fisher‘s exact test: P = 0.2015, P = 0.4715). The sensitivity, specifi city, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 78.79%, 99.25%, 86.67%, 98.69%, and 98.05%, respectively. There was no case of bilateral postoperative RLN paresis. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant diff erence in the incidence of postoperative RLN palsy in patients who underwent surgery with IONM compared to the group without IONM. The high negative predictive value, specifi city and accuracy indicate high reliability of the method. The IONM provides the surgeon with valuable information regarding the functional status of the nerve. This knowledge allows for changing the operative strategy during the procedure. Keywords: intraoperative neural monitoring – IONM – recurrent laryngeal nerve injury – recurrent laryngeal nerve – thyroid surgery

scholarly journals Clinical Performance of the Spot Vision Photo Screener before and after Induction of Cycloplegia in Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konuralp Yakar
Keyword(s):  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity ◽  
Vision Screener

Aim. To compare the clinical performance of the Spot Vision Screener used to detect amblyopia risk factors (ARFs) in children before and after induction of cycloplegia; the children were referred because they met the screening criteria of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Methods. The Spot Vision Screener and a standard autorefractometer were used to examine 200 eyes of 100 children aged 3–10 years, before and after cycloplegia induction, in terms of ARFs. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the detection of significant refractive errors were measured using the AAPOS referral criteria. It was explored that Spot Screener data were affected by cycloplegia. The extent of agreement between cycloplegic/noncycloplegic photoscreening data and cycloplegic autorefraction measurements was assessed using Wilcoxon and Spearman correlation analyses. Results. The Spot’s sensitivity was improved from 60.9% to 85.3% and specificity from 94.9% to 87.4% with cycloplegia compared to cycloplegic standard autorefractometer results. The positive predictive value of Spot was 75.7%, and the negative predictive value was 90.4% without cycloplegia. With cycloplegia, the positive predictive value of Spot was 63.6% and the negative predictive value was 95.8%. Conclusions. The Spot Screener afforded moderate sensitivity and high specificity prior to cycloplegia. The sensitivity and negative predictive value improved after induction of cycloplegia. Examiners should be aware of the effects of cycloplegia on their findings.

scholarly journals Validation of the scandinavian guidelines for initial management of minor and moderate head trauma in children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Sönnerqvist ◽  
Ole Brus ◽  
Magnus Olivecrona
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Head Trauma ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Brain Injuries ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injuries ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Initial Management

Abstract Background Head trauma in children is common, with a low rate of clinically important traumatic brain injury. CT scan is the reference standard for diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, of which the increasing use is alarming because of the risk of induction of lethal malignancies. Recently, the Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee derived new guidelines for the initial management of minor and moderate head trauma. Our aim was to validate these guidelines. Methods We applied the guidelines to a population consisting of children with mild and moderate head trauma, enrolled in the study: “Identification of children at very low risk of clinically-important brain injuries after head trauma: a prospective cohort study” by Kuppermann et al. (Lancet 374(9696):1160–1170, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61558-0, 2009). We calculated the negative predictive values of the guidelines to assess their ability to distinguish children without clinically-important traumatic brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries on CT scans, for whom CT could be omitted. Results We analysed a population of 43,025 children. For clinically-important brain injuries among children with minimal head injuries, the negative predictive value was 99.8% and the rate was 0.15%. For traumatic findings on CT, the negative predictive value was 96.9%. Traumatic finding on CT was detected in 3.1% of children with minimal head injuries who underwent a CT examination, which accounts for 0.45% of all children in this group. Conclusion Children with minimal head injuries can be safely discharged with oral and written instructions. Use of the SNC-G will potentially reduce the use of CT.

scholarly journals Volume of sputum to detect acid-fast bacilli as a measure of quality for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis at the Dr George Mukhari Hospital, South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iqbal Rashid ◽  
Langalibalele H. Mabuza ◽  
Indiran Govender ◽  
Deidre Pretorius
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
P Value ◽  
Likelihood Ratios ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Acid Fast Bacilli

Background: Optimum sputum results for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) microscopy are linked to a sputum quantity of at least 5.0 mL. This study was aimed at establishing the effect of sputum quantity in the pick-up rate of AFB microscopy by comparing sputum samples of 5.0 mL and 2.0 mL.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out at the Dr George Mukhari Hospital (DGMH) in Pretoria, South Africa, from 05 January 2007 to 04 January 2008.Two sputum samples, 5.0 mL and 2.0 mL, were collected from each of the 330 adult PTB (pulmonary tuberculosis) suspects. Fluorescence microscopy was used in the sputum analysis. The yield through microscopy of the 2.0 mL specimen versus the 5.0 mL specimen was compared and analysed, using culture results as the gold standard.Results: From a sample of 330 specimens, 77 tested AFB positive on microscopy. In the 5.0 mL samples, the sensitivity was 76.6% (95% CI, 66.0% – 84.7%), specificity 99.6% (95% CI 97.8% – 99.9%), positive predictive value (PV+) 98.3% (95% CI 91.1% – 99.7%), negative predictive value (PV-) 93.3% (95% CI 89.7% – 95.7%), the likelihood ratio (LR) for a positive microscopy 192 and the LR for a negative test was 0.23. In the 2.0 mL specimens, the sensitivity was 75.3% (95% CI 64.6% – 83.6%), specificity 99.2% (95% CI 97.1% – 99.8%), positive predictive value (PV+) 96.7% (95% CI 88.6% – 99.1%), negative predictive value (PV-) 93.0% (95% CI 89.3% – 95.4%), the LR for a positive microscopy was 94 and 0.25 for a negative microscopy. There was a statistically significant association (p-value < 0.001) between the microscopy and culture tests in both the 5.0 mL and the 2.0 mL specimen categories. The strength of association between the microscopy and culture, as indicated by the kappa test was 0.83 and 0.81 in the 5.0 mL and 2.0 mL categories, respectively.Conclusion: Compared to the 2.0 mL specimen category, the yield for AFB microscopy in the 5.0 mL specimen category was consistently superior, as indicated by the higher sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and the likelihood ratios in the 5.0 mL specimen category. It is recommended that sputum specimen collection for AFB microscopy should aim for a minimum volume of 5.0 mL.

scholarly journals Sensitivity, Specificity and Predictive Values of Cytological and Microbiological Findings of Endometrial Biopsy, Cytobrush and Low Volume Uterine Lavage in Relation to Endometrial Histology in Barren Mares

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (04) ◽  
pp. 75-79
Author(s):  
Agnus Mathew ◽  
DM Patel ◽  
KK Hadiya
Keyword(s):  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Endometrial Biopsy ◽  
Microbial Culture ◽  
K Value ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity ◽  
Uterine Lavage

This study was carried out on 10 infertile barren mares to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and agreement (kappa value) of cytological and microbiological findings of three diagnosing techniques of endometritis, viz., endometrial biopsy (EB), cytobrush (CB) and low volume uterine lavage (LVL) in relation to endometrial histology. When histological examinations from EB were used as “the best standard,” the sensitivity of cytology from EB, CB and LVL technique was 0.33, 0.50 and 0.50; specificity 0.75, 1.00 and 0.75; positive predictive value 0.66, 1.00 and 0.75, and negative predictive value was 0.42, 0.57 and 0.50, respectively. The sensitivity of bacteriology from EB, CB and LVL technique was 0.83, 0.83 and 1.00; the specificity was 0.75, 0.75 and 0.50; positive predictive value 0.83, 0.83 and 0.75, and the negative predictive value was 0.75, 0.75 and 1.00, respectively. In all the cases, the sensitivity of the bacteriology was found to be higher than the sensitivity of cytology. When the results of cytological and bacteriological examinations were combined, no any increase in the sensitivity was found. Bacteriology and cytology from CB showed the highest positive predictive value demonstrating that a positive result is an accurate indication of endometritis. Sensitivity values were always higher if smears were evaluated according to PMNs to epithelial cell ratio, and the highest values were observed in specimens collected from CB and LVL. The evaluation of cytological smears based on counting PMNs in relation to epithelial cells was a better method for diagnosis of endometritis than counting the number of PMNs per high power microscopic field (k value 0.07-0.47 vs. 0.00). The agreement of the diagnosis of endometritis between the three techniques of the collection was from fair to poor and between the different criteria adopted to evaluate smears was always poor. However, the agreement of the diagnosis of endometritis by the microbial culture was moderate between the three techniques of the collection (k value 0.55-0.58).

scholarly journals Role of uterine artery doppler at 18-22 weeks in the prediction of pre-eclampsia: a prospective study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 4130
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Manjeera M. ◽  
Patricia Malini Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Positive Predictive Value ◽  
Negative Predictive Value ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Pulsatility Index ◽  
Uterine Artery ◽  
Resistance Index ◽  
Early Screening ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Uterine Artery Doppler ◽  
Doppler Study

Background: Pre-eclampsia is the most common pregnancy complication associated with serious maternal and fetal morbidity. Uterine artery Doppler reflects the impaired trophoblastic invasion of the uterine spiral arteries, which is involved in the aetiology of preeclampsia. Thus, uterine artery Doppler was proposed as a screening test for pre-eclampsia.Methods: A prospective cohort study of 100 singleton pregnancies was conducted in a tertiary centre and the study population were subjected to uterine artery Doppler study at 18-22 weeks gestation. Uterine artery Doppler indices of pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI) and persistence of diastolic notch was obtained and the outcome of pre-eclampsia was studied.Results: Out of 100 women, 14 women developed pre-eclampsia in which the resistance index showed a sensitivity of 21.4%, specificity of 91.8%, positive predictive value of 30% and negative predictive value of 87.7% and pulsatility index showed sensitivity of 35.7%, specificity of 90.6%, positive predictive value of 38.4% and negative predictive value of 89.6%. Diastolic notch had a sensitivity of 35.7%, specificity of 98.8%, positive predictive value of 83.3% and a negative predictive value of 90.4%.Conclusions: The high negative predictive values, indicated that women with normal Doppler velocimetry were unlikely to develop preeclampsia. Uterine artery Doppler, being non-invasive can be included during routine sonography to identify patients at risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Early, screening for pre-eclampsia will help in individualized antenatal surveillance and initiation of prophylactic therapy, early to reduce the adverse maternal and foetal complications of preeclampsia.

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