OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the predictive value of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) in public health by comparing stated preferences to actual behavior. METHODS 780 Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients received a questionnaire, containing a DCE with five attributes related to T2DM patients' willingness to participate in a combined lifestyle intervention. Panel m...

The rheumatoid factor (RF) latex test was evaluated as a test for congenital syphilis. High risk newborns of mothers with untreated or inadequately treated syphilis were studied. The asymptomatic infants were followed up for between 3 and 4 months (or longer if the VDRL test was positive). The overall performance of the RF latex test was better than that of the other tests studied, even though ...

INTRODUCTION Cadaver dogs are known as valuable forensic tools in crime scene investigations. Scientific research attempting to verify their value is largely lacking, specifically for scents associated with the early postmortem interval. The aim of our investigation was the comparative evaluation of the reliability, accuracy, and specificity of three cadaver dogs belonging to the Hamburg State ...

This study aims to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) of Vitek2 in detecting extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotypes when compared to a manual confirmatory test as gold standard. A sample of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp and Proteus mirabilis isolates were collected by 5 laboratories in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy). Vitek2 app...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the potential of iron-oxide dismutase excreted (SODeCRU) by T. cruzi as the antigen fraction in the serodiagnosis of Chagas disease and compile new epidemiological data on the seroprevalence of this disease in the suburban population of the city of Santiago de Querétaro (Mexico). DESIGN AND METHODS 258 human sera were analyzed by the techniques of ELISA and Western blot...

The objective of this study was to determine the reliability of the real-time PCR assay for determining the group B Streptococcus (GBS) status of women in labor. In this prospective study we compared the results of culture and PCR testing of vaginal and rectal samples collected by nursing staff when women were in labor. Patients' charts were also reviewed to obtain relevant information about pr...

This paper describes methods used and results obtained from a study that measured the accuracy of a routinely collected population-based data set. Data on a random sample of births were extracted from the 2003 Victorian Perinatal Data Collection (VPDC) and compared with information in the original medical record. Accuracy was calculated for 111 items related to diverse aspects of maternity and ...

Background. Automatic tube compensation (ATC) has been developed to overcome the imposed work of breathing due to artificial airways during spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs). Objectives. This study aimed to assess extubation outcome after an SBT (spontaneous breathing trial) with ATC compared with pressure support ventilation (PSV) and to determine the risk factors for extubation failure. Met...

Assessment of accuracy of self-reported reason for colorectal cancer testing has been limited. We examined the accuracy and correlates of self-reported reason (screening or diagnosis) for having a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Patients who had received at least one sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy within the past 5 years were recruited from a large multispecialty clinic in Houston, TX, between 2005...

PURPOSE To evaluate a new clinical test, the resisted supination external rotation test, for the diagnosis of superior labral anterior posterior lesions of the shoulder. STUDY DESIGN Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS Forty athletes (average age, 23.9 years) with activity-related shoulder pain were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent 3 different tests designed...