Incidence Of Positive Tests Research Articles

Evaluation of an emergency department opt-out provider-driven HIV and syphilis screening and linkage-to-care program

ObjectiveWhile the effectiveness of emergency departments (ED) in screening for HIV and syphilis is understood, less is known about dual screening programs. We aim to evaluate the impact of an opt-out provider-initiated HIV and syphilis program on screening, diagnosis, and linkage to care outcomes. MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of patients screened pre (2014–2017) and post (2017–2021) program implementation. Primary outcomes include HIV and syphilis screening, incidence of positive tests, and proportion of patients linked to care. Secondary outcomes included pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) referral and successful linkage rates for HIV-negative syphilis-positive patients. ResultsPre-implementation, 882 HIV tests were performed, of which 22 (2.49%) were new cases and 18 (81.82%) were linked to care; 754 syphilis tests were performed, of which 33 (4.38%) were active infections and 30 (90.91%) were treated. No eligible patients received PrEP referral. Post-implementation, 12,999 HIV tests were performed, of which 73 (0.56%) were new cases and 55 (75.34%) were linked to care; 10,885 syphilis tests were performed, of which 216 (1.98%) were active infections and 188 (87.04%) were treated. 25 (9.09%) eligible patients were referred for PrEP, and four (16.0%) attended their appointment. ConclusionsPost-implementation, there was a 1373.81% and 1343.63% increase in screening, and a 231.82% and 554.55% increase in positive cases of HIV and syphilis, respectively. Dual screening programs can be successfully implemented within the existing ED framework to increase screening and early detection for HIV and syphilis.

Awareness and Knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Dental Professionals According to the Turkish National Dental Guidelines.

The objective of the current survey was to assess the awareness of the dental professionals according to the principals described by the Turkish Dental Association (TDA). A questionnaire including the socio-demographic data, specialties/academic degree, institutions/affiliations, the knowledge about COVID-19, the number of patients examined and dental treatments performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the knowledge of protection based on the guidelines described by TDA, contamination with COVID-19 and the psychological complaints has been used. A total of 947 (63.1%) dentists enrolled the study. The results showed satisfactory knowledge about the COVID-19 etiology, mode of transmission and the pre-procedural cautions as the majority of them had a fair level of knowledge with significantly higher knowledge among specialized respondents. The participants have also recorded a good judgment towards performing the emergency dental treatment during the current COVID-19 pandemic which corresponds with the guidelines determined by TDA. Considering the updates on the transmission of COVID-19 and protective strategies, there is an urgent need for improvement of dentists’ knowledge about risk assessment via training programs. The incidence of positive testing among dental professionals also necessitates immediately testing of asymptomatic Turkish dental professionals.

Cardiovascular Safety of Tamsulosin Modified Release in the Fasted and Fed State in Elderly Healthy Subjects

Objectives: The effect of food on the cardiovascular safety of tamsulosin modified release (MR) capsules 0.4 mg in elderly subjects was assessed both after single and multiple dosing. Methods: Thirty-six elderly (age ≥ 60 years) male volunteers were recruited and after a single-blind, placebo run-in period of 1 day were randomised to active treatment ( n = 24) or placebo ( n = 12). In each group the effect of food on vital signs and orthostatic stress testing was assessed in a crossover design after a single dose (Days 1 and 8 with a 7 day wash-out) and after 14 days of multiple dosing under fasting and fed conditions. Results: Changes in vital signs and orthostatic stress responses were more pronounced in the fasted than in the fed state. A total of 86 positive orthostatic stress tests were observed of which only three were symptomatic. Forty-six of these 86 tests were considered positive because of an effect on at least two criteria. The incidence of positive tests was higher in the fasted state and was increased by tamsulosin MR compared with placebo. Conclusions: Vital signs and orthostatic stress testing are more influenced by tamsulosin 0.4 mg MR capsules in the fasted than in the fed state. As tamsulosin MR is intended to be taken after breakfast or the first meal of the day, lack of compliance with this instruction may increase the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events in elderly males.

THE INCIDENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN PATIENTS WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS

The cause of interstitial cystitis is unknown. We evaluated the incidence of Helicobacter pylori antibodies in patients with interstitial cystitis to determine whether such infection may be a causative factor. We obtained serum samples from 23 patients with interstitial cystitis and 23 control subjects. Samples were analyzed for the presence of H. pylori IgG antibodies. The incidence of positive tests for H. pylori antibodies was 22% in the interstitial cystitis group and 35% in controls. The incidence of infection with H. pylori is not increased in interstitial cystitis, and so it is unlikely to be a causative factor.

Preoperative Pregnancy Testing in Adolescents

Anesthetics and other drugs used during the perioperative period may have teratogenic or abortive effects. The pregnancy status of surgical patients is often unknown. This investigation examined retrospectively the results of 2 yr of mandatory pregnancy testing in 412 adolescent surgical patients. The overall incidence of positive tests was 1.2%. Five of 207 patients aged 15 yr and older tested positive, for an incidence of 2.4% in that group. None of the 205 patients under the age of 15 yr had a positive pregnancy test. We conclude that mandatory pregnancy testing is advisable in adolescent surgical patients aged 15 yr and older.

Andrology: The screening for cytomegalovirus antibody in semen donors and recipients within a donor insemination programme

A total of 67 semen donors (62 Caucasian and five non-Caucasian) were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV). Ten (16%) of the Caucasian donors tested positive for CMV, while four (80%) of the non-Caucasian donors were positive. A total of 131 women receiving donor insemination (114 Caucasian and 17 non-Caucasian) were tested. Of these, 43 (38%) of the Caucasian recipients tested positive for CMV, while 16 (94%) of the non-Caucasian recipients were positive. There was a significant association between the incidence of positive tests and the age of the Caucasian recipients.

Thyroid autoantibodies in thyroid cancer: incidence and relationship with tumour outcome.

In the present investigation we studied serum anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroid microsomal autoantibodies, measured by hemagglutination technique, in 600 patients with thyroid cancer seen by us from 1975 to 1985 (mean follow-up 46 months). Positive thyroglobulin antibodies and/or microsomal antibodies were found in 138 (23%) patients (23.9% with papillary, 25% with follicular, 16.1% with anaplastic, and 4.1% with medullary thyroid carcinomas). The incidence of positive tests was similar in each decade of life (ranging between 21.9% and 27.9%), whereas in a normal sex-matched population with no evidence of thyroid disease, the frequency of positive tests was very low in young people and increased to 23% in people older than 60. In 64 patients with no evidence of residual or metastasic thyroid tissue after surgery and radioiodine, initially positive antibody titres became negative in 54.6%, decreased in 32.8%, did not change in 3.1%, and increased in 9.3%. On the contrary, antibody titres of patients with persistent disease became undetectable in 8.3%, decreased in 16.6%, remained unchanged in 25%, and increased in 50%. The clinical course of differentiated thyroid cancer was unaffected by the presence of thyroid antibodies and no difference was found in the death rate between antibody-positive and antibody-negative patients (11.5% and 13.6%, respectively). In conclusion, our data indicate that: 1) autoimmune phenomena are not an infrequent finding in thyroid cancer; 2) as in non-malignant thyroid diseases, positive-antibody tests are more frequently observed in females than in males; 3) at variance with normal controls, no age-dependent increase in serum anti-thyroid antibodies was found in thyroid cancer; 4) the presence of metastatic thyroid tissue seems to be necessary to perpetuate the autoantibody synthesis, and 5) anti-thyroid autoantibodies are not a protective or worsening factor in the tumour outcome.

Factors influencing the diagnostic sensitivity of the exercise test in coronary artery disease.

A continuous multistage bicycle ergometer test was performed on 50 patients with coronary artery disease. Selective cinecoronary angiography and left ventriculography were performed within a week of the test in all patients. Overall, 62% had a positive ischemic response, defined as 1 mm or greater depression of the ST segment. Patients with 75% or greater stenosis in any vessel and those with triple-vessel involvement had a higher incidence of positive tests. Those with low systolic ejection fractions and areas of asynergy had fewer positive tests than patients with normal ejection fractions and normal or minimal segmental wall motion abnormalities. The level of exercise, location of arterial disease and the presence of collateral blood supply to the diseased vessels did not appear to influence the sensitivity of the exercise stress test.

Increased Incidence of Positive Tests for Estrogen Binding in Mammary Carcinoma Specimens Transported in Liquid Nitrogen

Increased Incidence of Positive Tests for Estrogen Binding in Mammary Carcinoma Specimens Transported in Liquid Nitrogen

Incidence of antibodies to adenovirus-associated viruses in patients with tumours or other diseases.

Antibodies to adenovirus-associated virus type 3 have been determined in 12 children and 21 adults with tumors, as well as in 20 children and 44 adults with other diseases. The incidence of antibodies was significantly lower in the cancer group than in the control one: for these two groups, the incidence of positive tests were 9% and 31%, respectively. A similar but less significant difference was found with antibodies to adenovirus-associated virus type 1. In contrast, the antibodies to the serotype 2 were equally distributed among the cases of cancer and other patients. The first two series of results are in agreement with the hypothesis that infections with adenoviruses in man entail some risk of cancer, and that this risk is decreased if an associated virus is also present — a fact which has been demonstrated in newborn hamsters.

Antigammaglobulin factors and malignant diseases

Patients with various malignancies were investigated for the presence of anti-gamma-globulin factors (AGGF). The cases with neoplasms of different tissues showed a significative incidence of positive tests for the AGGF as detected by the latex slide test (26.4%), human FII tanned sheep cell agglutination (34.5%) and sensitized sheep cell agglutination (8.4%). In the myeloid and lymphatic leukemias the incidence of AGGF was not higher than in patients with other diseases.

C-reactive protein in otolaryngological diseases.

C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined in 819 patients suffering from various otolaryngological diseases. The test for CRP was positive in 117 cases and negative in 702. The highest frequency of positive tests, 93 per cent, was obtained in acute peritonsillitis. The results in this study support earlier reports in general; chronic suppurative otitis media with or without cholesteatoma showed a surprisingly low incidence of positive tests, 2 per cent.

C-reactive protein and operation.

The occurrence of C-reactive protein (CRP) was studied after 167 otolaryngological operations. CRP appeared in blood serum of patients in 113 cases out of 167. In the case of tonsillectomies the incidence of positive tests for CRP was the highest, 47 out of 51. Tonsillectomies and/or adenoidectomies done under general anesthesia showed a lower frequency of positive CRP tests than tonsillectomies under local anesthesia. In the series studied, there were no postoperative complications, and therefore other points have to be taken into consideration when assessing the reasons why CRP did not appear in connection with all operations of the same kind.

A skin test for infectious hepatitis.

SummaryA skin test antigen for infectious hepatitis (IH) has been prepared from amniotic fluid of chick embryos infected with IH virus. Thus far, it has given apparently specifically positive skin reactions in all the individuals with past histories of spontaneous or induced IH tested. In contrast, the incidence of positive tests among cases of past serum hepatitis was no greater than that found among an adult group chosen at random.