In 90 patients referred to the pulmonary function laboratory for evaluation of hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) and in whom somatic causes of the complaints had been excluded, we investigated the degree of concordance between three widely applied diagnostic methods: 1) the standardized Nijmegen questionnaire on major daily complaints; 2) the reproduction of the same symptoms during the hypervent...

The diagnosis of food allergy is still based primarily on a detailed medical history and comprehensive physical examination. Clinical or laboratory tests only serve as an add-on tool to confirm the diagnosis. The standard techniques include skin prick testing and in-vitro testing for specific IgE-antibodies, and oral food challenges. Properly done, oral food challenges continue to be the gold s...

Maintaining quality, competitiveness and innovation in global health technology is a constant challenge for manufacturers, while affordability, access and equity are challenges for governments and international agencies. In this paper we discuss these issues with reference to rapid diagnostic tests for malaria. Strategies to control and eliminate malaria depend on early and accurate diagnosis. ...

The cover test is done to confirm the presence of a manifest squint. The patient is asked to look at the fixation target (a flashlight should never be used as a fixation target because it fails to control accommodation—an accommodative fixation target held at 33 cm is used for near and the Snellen 6/9 visual acuity symbol is used for distance fixation). The apparently fixating eye is then cover...