scholarly journals Validation of the ISAAC Standardized Questionnaire Used by Schoolchildren from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Gorozave-Car ◽  
Albino Barraza-Villarreal ◽  
Consuelo Escamilla-Núñez ◽  
Leticia Hernandez-Cadena ◽  
Luz Helena Sanín-Aguirre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Standard ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Clinical Testing ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Background. In Mexico, several studies have been conducted under the ISAAC methodology; nevertheless, no validation studies of the ISAAC questionnaire based on objective clinical testing in our country have been published. Aims of the Study. To validate the ISAAC questionnaire, used in a study of prevalence of allergic diseases, based on medical, respiratory, and allergic evaluations of schoolchildren being 11 to 16 years old in Mexicali, Mexico. Material and Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study to validate the ISAAC questionnaire through the generation of an index (considered as gold standard) using pre- and postbronchodilator spirometry test, exhaled nitric oxide measurements, and atopic evaluations. 114 schoolchildren were included (23 asthmatics with respiratory symptoms and 91 nonasthmatics without respiratory symptoms) and we evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of the questionnaire using discriminant analysis. Results. We observed sensitivity of 35.2% and specificity of 93.3% and the positive and negative predictive values were 82.6% and 61.5%, respectively. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that the ISAAC Mexican version questionnaire was less sensitive and more specific when compared to the gold standard; however, it is adequate and able to discriminate children with and without asthma and a useful tool to use in epidemiological studies.

scholarly journals Evaluation of platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for detection of oesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis of liver: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok Mysore Lakshminarayana ◽  
Shweta Mallikarjun Kumbar ◽  
Manohara Melur Chandregowda ◽  
Kiran Warrier
Keyword(s):  
Liver Cirrhosis ◽  
Platelet Count ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Oesophageal Varices ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gastroesophageal Varices ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Background: Gastroesophageal varices due to portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Gold standard investigation for varices is esophagogastroduodenoscopy and patients are advised to undergo regular follow up based on the risk stratification. But the invasive nature, risk of procedure-related complication and lack of accessibility and affordability makes it important to identify simpler methods to screen patients. Platelet count/spleen diameter (PSD) ratio has been validated as a marker for oesophageal varices (OV) in multiple studies but with varying results. The present study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of PSD ratio in OV.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. Clinical examination, relevant laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy were performed and data were recorded. PSD was calculated. Receiver-operator characteristics curves were plotted to determine cut-off values. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.Results: Total 100 patients were included in this study, out of which 25% of patients did not have varices on endoscopy. The mean PSD was for patients without varices 1242.82 (253.45) and 883.51 (582.38467) for patients with OV. The area-under-curve was 0.823, 95% CI=0.734-0.912, p value=0.000001. The cut-off value for PSD was calculated from the ROC analysis was 1077. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 76%, 88%, 95% and 55% respectively.Conclusions: PSD ratio is not an efficient parameter for detection of varices in patients with liver cirrhosis. The current evidence does not support its role as a screening test for identification of patients with OV.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine needle Aspiration Cytology of Thyroid Nodules at two tertiary Hospitals in Zambia: a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-13
Author(s):  
Jackson Chipaila ◽  
◽  
Alex Makupe ◽  
Evans Malyangu ◽  
Daniel Maswahu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Nodules ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Aspiration Cytology ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals ◽  
Needle Aspiration Cytology ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are one of the common surgical presentations in Africa and are of great concern because of their potential to be malignant. Zambia is not excluded from these common surgical conditions. However, there are no pre-operative cellular or intra-operative tissue diagnoses of the thyroid nodules done before thyroidectomy making it difficult to plan for an optimal and definitive management. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is known to play a pivotal role in the screening and management of thyroid swellings. This study serves to assess the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC on thyroid nodules in patients at two tertiary hospitals in Zambia in order to establish a basis for introducing its use in the management of thyroid nodules at the institutions. Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of FNAC, as compared to histopathology, in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules at University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) in Zambia. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in UTH and NCH surgery department from June 2014 to March 2015. Seventy-three patients, who presented with palpable thyroid nodules and underwent thyroidectomy, were enrolled in the study. The FNAC diagnosis of the patients was compared to the histopathology finding following thyroidectomy. Results: Females made up the majority of the patients (n=67, 91.8%). The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 78 years. The mean age was 44.3 years and the peak age of incidence was in the fourth decade. All patients were clinically euthyroid at the time of enrolment. The FNAC findings included 23 cases reported as unsatisfactory (31.5%); 29 cases benign (39.7%); 2 cases atypical (2.7%); 6 cases suspicious (8.2%); and 13 cases malignant (17.8%). Histopathology findings were available from all 73 tissue samples of participants, of which 55 (75.3%) and 18 (24.7%) were reported as benign and malignant respectively. Of the 18 malignant cases identified by histology, the most common cancer was follicular carcinoma (n=9, 50%), followed by papillary carcinoma (n=6, 33.3%) and undifferentiated carcinoma (n=3, 16.7%). FNAC, in this study, had sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and accuracy of 83.33%, 89.09%, 94.23 and 71.42%, and 87.67% respectively. Conclusion: In this study, FNAC of thyroid nodules had a high sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and accuracy, and can therefore be recommended to be adopted as a pre-operative tool for screening of thyroid nodules.

scholarly journals Reliability of Visual Assessment for Diagnosis of Neonatal Jaundice Among Neonates of Black Descent: A Cross-Sectional Study From Tanzania.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikunda Dionis ◽  
Omary Chillo ◽  
George M Bwire ◽  
Manase Kilonzi ◽  
Calvin Ulomi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Neonatal Jaundice ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Total Serum ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Abstract Background: Jaundice is common among neonates and if untreated can lead to kernicterus. Diagnosing of jaundice in neonates using Kramer’s method (visual assessment) is considered user friendly in resource limited areas. However, there are conflicting finding on reliability of the Kramer’s method in diagnosis of neonatal jaundice (NJ) particularly of black descent. Therefore, this study aimed to determine diagnostic accuracy of Kramer’s method in comparison with total serum bilirubin (TSB) test in diagnosis of NJ among neonates of black descent in Tanzania. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and July 2020 at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. A total of 315 neonates were recruited consecutively. In each neonates’ jaundice was assessed by using Kramer’s method and TSB test. A 2 X 2 table was created for determination of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive and negative likelihood ratios (+LR/-LR) and diagnostic accuracy (effectiveness). Cohen kappa (κ) was used to analyze the agreement between Kramer’s method and TSB. Association between independent variables and presence of jaundice were assessed using chi-square test and the p ˂ 0.05 was considered to be statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of NJ was 49.8% by Kramer’s method and 63.5% by TSB. The Sensitivity, Specificity, PPV, and NPV of the Kramer’s method were 70.5%, 86.1%, 88.8%, and 62.6%, respectively. The +LR and –LR were 5.07 and 0.34 respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the Kramer’s method was 76.1%. There was a moderate agreement between Kramer’s method and TSB results (κ= 0.524, P˂0.001). No significance relationship between the independent variables and presence of NJ. Conclusion: Kramer’s method was found to be inefficient in detecting NJ among neonates of black descent. However, it can be used as a predictor of NJ and whenever available invasive techniques should be applied.

Prevalence of COVID-19-like Symptoms among People Living with HIV, and Using Antiretroviral Therapy for Prevention and Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 373-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi ◽  
Maryam Ghadimi ◽  
Mahboubeh Hajiabdolbaghi ◽  
Mehrnaz Rasoolinejad ◽  
Ladan Abbasian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Living With Hiv

Background: COVID-19 has spread globally with remarkable speed, and currently, there is limited data available exploring any aspect of the intersection between HIV and SARSCoV- 2 co-infection. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of clinical symptoms associated with COVID-19 among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Tehran, Iran. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 200 PLWH were recruited through the positive club via sampling, and completed the symptom-based questionnaire for COVID-19, which was delivered by trained peers. Results: Of 200 participants, respiratory symptoms, including cough, sputum, and shortness of breath, were the most prevalent among participants, but only one person developed symptoms collectively suggested COVID-19 and sought treatments. Conclusions: It appears that existing infection with HIV or receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) might reduce the susceptibility to the infection with SARS-CoV-2 or decrease the severity of the infection acquired. Further research is needed to understand causal mechanisms.

scholarly journals Recurrent wheeze and its relationship with lung function and airway inflammation in preschool children: a cross-sectional study in South Korea

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e018010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Eun Soh ◽  
Kyung-Moon Kim ◽  
Ji-Won Kwon ◽  
Hyung Young Kim ◽  
Ju-Hee Seo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Airway Inflammation ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Airway Function ◽  
Recurrent Wheeze

BackgroundRelationship between recurrent wheeze and airway function and inflammation in preschool children is not fully known.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between recurrent wheeze and airway inflammation, lung function, airway hyper-reactivity (AHR) and atopy in preschool children.DesignObservational study, comparing forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and mid-forced expiratory flow (FEF25%–75%), dose–response slope (DRS), exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and atopic sensitisation between children with recurrent wheeze and those without.SettingPopulation-based, cross-sectional study in Seoul and the Gyeonggi province of Korea conducted as a government-funded programme to perform standardised measurement of the prevalence of allergic diseases, and related factors, in preschool children.Participants900 children aged 4–6 years.Primary and secondary outcome measureseNO, FEV1/FVC, FEF25%–75%, DRS, atopic sensitisation and allergic diseases.MethodsChildren completed the modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and underwent eNO assessments, spirometry, methacholine bronchial provocation tests and skin prick tests. Recurrent wheeze was defined as having a lifetime wheeze of more than three episodes, based on the questionnaire. The frequency of hospitalisation and emergency room visits was also obtained by means of the questionnaire. ‘Current’ wheeze was defined as having symptoms or treatments within the past 12 months.ResultsThe prevalence of recurrent wheeze was 13.4%. Children with recurrent wheeze showed a higher prevalence of lifetime or current allergic rhinitis (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively) and lifetime atopic dermatitis (p=0.007). Children with recurrent wheeze showed lower FEV1/FVC (p=0.033) and FEF25%–75%(p=0.004), and higher eNO levels (p=0.013) than those without recurrent wheeze. However, the DRS, prevalence of atopic sensitisation and serum IgE levels were not significantly different between the two groups.ConclusionsRecurrent wheeze in preschool children may be associated with airway inflammation and diminished airway function, but not with AHR or atopy.

scholarly journals Liver ultrasound elastography for the evaluation of periportal fibrosis in schistosomiasis mansoni: A cross-sectional study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joelma Carvalho Santos ◽  
Andrea Dória Batista ◽  
Carla Maria Mola Vasconcelos ◽  
Roberto Souza Lemos ◽  
Valter Romão de Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Wave ◽  
Shear Wave Elastography ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cutoff Point ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Cutoff Value ◽  
Periportal Fibrosis ◽  
Schistosomiasis Mansoni

AbstractBackgroundARFI elastrography has been used as a noninvasive method to assess the severity of liver fibrosis in viral hepatitis, although with few studies in schistosomiasis mansoni. We aimed to evaluate the performance of point shear wave elastography (pSWE) for predicting significant periportal fibrosis (PPF) in schistosomotic patients and to determine its best cutoff point.Methodology/Principal findingsThis cross-sectional study included 358 adult schistosomotic patients subjected to US and pSWE on the right lobe. Two hundred two patients (62.0%) were women, with a median age of 54 (ranging 18-92) years. The pSWE measurements were compared to the US patterns of PPF, as gold standard, according to the Niamey classification. The performance of pSWE was calculated as the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Patients were further classified into two groups: 86 patients with mild PPF and 272 patients with significant PPF. The median pSWE of the significant fibrosis group was higher (1.40 m/s) than that of mild fibrosis group (1.14 m/s, p<0.001). AUC was 0.719 with ≤1.11 m/s as the best cutoff value for excluding significant PPF. Sensitivity and negative predictive values were 80.5% and 40.5%, respectively. Whereas, for confirming significant PPF, the best cutoff value was >1.39 m/s, with specificity of 86.1% and positive predictive value of 92.0%.Conclusions/SignificancepSWE was able to differentiate significant from mild PPF, with better performance to predict significant PPF.Author summaryIn the developing world, over 207 million people are infected with parasitic Schistosoma worms. Among the species of Schistosoma that infect humans Schistosoma mansoni is one of the most common causes of illness. Here, we investigated the performance of point shear wave elastography (pSWE) for predicting significant periportal fibrosis (PPF) in schistosomotic patients and to determine its best cutoff point. We examined 358 people from northeast of Brazil for Schistosoma infections. The present study showed that pSWE was able to differentiate significant from mild PPF, with better performance to predict significant PPF.

scholarly journals Comparison of Novel, Bach Mai Boston Tool (BBT) and the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) for Oncology Inpatients

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481986376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binh Pham Van ◽  
Linh Nguyen Thuy ◽  
Hoa Nguyen Thi Thanh ◽  
Anh Nguyen Le Tuan ◽  
Phuong Duong Thi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Subjective Global Assessment ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nutrition Screening ◽  
Kappa Value ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Oncology inpatients are at high risk of malnutrition. Identification of at risk patients by nutrition screening requires a practical and easy to use tool. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Bach Mai Boston Tool (BBT) compared to a ‘gold standard’ full nutrition assessment using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 oncology inpatients from January to December 2016. Cohen’s Kappa, sensitivity, specificity and ROC analyses were performed. 270 inpatients were included in this study with a mean age of 56.3 ± 12.1 years old. Of these patients, 51.8% were male, and 74.1% had gastrointestinal cancer. The mean body mass index of patients was 20.6 ± 3.0 kg/m2. The PG-SGA tool identified 146 (54.1%) malnourished patients, while the BBT identified 105 (39.9%) malnourished patients. The BBT had a medium consistency, with a Kappa value of 0.6. Using a cut-off point of ≥ 4, the BBT had a sensitivity of 87.7% and a specificity of 72.6%. On the other hand, a BBT with a cut-off point ≥ 5 resulted in a sensitivity of 67.1%, a specificity of 94.4%, and an AUC of 0.81. The BBT is a practical, informative and valid tool for detecting malnutrition in hospitalized oncology patients. We recommend using a cut-off point of 4 for screening the risk of malnutrition for oncology inpatients.

scholarly journals Sensitization profile in patients with respiratory allergic diseases: differences between conventional and molecular diagnosis (a cross-sectional study)

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Til-Pérez ◽  
Claudio Carnevale ◽  
Pedro Luis Sarría-Echegaray ◽  
Diego Arancibia-Tagle ◽  
Sendy Chugo-Gordillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Diagnosis ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals Diagnostic and Prognostic Validity of Proadrenomedullin among Neonates with Sepsis in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Southern India

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Kannan ◽  
Suchetha S. Rao ◽  
Prasanna Mithra ◽  
B. Dhanashree ◽  
Shantharam Baliga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Outcome ◽  
Neonatal Sepsis ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Clinical Sepsis ◽  
A Value ◽  
Sepsis Screen ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Introduction. To evaluate Proadrenomedullin (Pro-ADM) as the diagnostic and prognostic marker in neonatal sepsis. Materials and Methods. In this cross-sectional study, Pro-ADM levels were estimated in 54 neonates with clinical sepsis and positive sepsis screen (cases) and 54 controls without clinical sepsis. Repeat Pro-ADM levels were estimated after 72 hours in cases. Pro-ADM levels were compared with the clinical outcome. Results and Discussion. Median Pro-ADM levels in cases were 31.8 (IQR: 27.8-39.4) pmol/ml which was significantly higher than controls 5.1 (IQR; 3.1-7.7) pmol/ml. From the constructed ROC curve, a value of 14.5 pmol/ml was taken as the cut-off for sepsis. Pro-ADM had 100% sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) in detecting sepsis at 14.5 pmol/ml. Among cases, a decrease in Pro-ADM level by 10 pmol/ml was associated with 99% survival. Pro-ADM value of 35 pmol/ml had 100% specificity and PPV in predicting mortality. Conclusion. Pro-ADM can be used as a single biomarker for detecting neonatal sepsis, predicting clinical outcome and prognosis.

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