− The tool of immunological diagnosis denominated ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay) it is probably the most used colorimetric test and it evaluates the compatibility antigen-antibody. The development of a portable device and low cost that it is allows analyzing the ELISA plate (“in situ”). It will suppose one immediately identification of the disease and therefore a faster performance ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical and economic consequences of different diagnostic strategies in newborns with suspected occult spinal dysraphism. METHODS A decision-analytic model was constructed to project the cost and health outcomes of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), plain radiographs, and no imaging in newborns with suspected occult spinal dysraphism. Morbidity and mor...

SETTING The potential cost-effectiveness of improved diagnostic tests for tuberculosis (TB) in resource-limited settings is unknown. OBJECTIVE To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical new point-of-care TB diagnostic test in South Africa, Brazil and Kenya. DESIGN Decision-analysis model, adding four diagnostic interventions (sputum smear microscopy, new test, smear pl...

Most models of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), do not provide results customized to local conditions. We created a dynamic transmission model to project TB incidence, TB mortality, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB prevalence, and incremental costs over 5 years after scale-up of nine alternative diagnostic strategies. A corresponding web-based interface allows users to specify loca...