Moderate Positive Predictive Value Research Articles

Brief Report: Use of the Infant-Toddler Checklist in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Few studies have explored autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening in the first year of life. The current investigation examines the psychometric properties of the Infant-Toddler Checklist starting in the first year of life in a sample at elevated and average risk for ASD based on family history. 283 participants were followed from 6 to 36months, when diagnostic outcome was determined. The results indicated low to moderate sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value across ages for broadly distinguishing any delays from typical development, as well as for more narrowly discriminating children with ASD from those who were typically developing. Implications for utilizing ASD screening tools in the first year of life with high risk samples are discussed.

Instantaneous wave-free ratio cutoff values for nonculprit stenosis classification in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (an iSTEMI substudy).

The instantaneous wave-free ratio cutoff value of <0.90 for hemodynamic significance of coronary stenoses has been validated in stable patients. We examined different cutoff values in the evaluation of nonculprit stenoses in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. We measured instantaneous wave-free ratio across nonculprit stenoses in the acute setting and at follow-up in 120 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 157 nonculprit stenoses, of which, 113 patients with 147 nonculprit stenoses completed follow-up. The prevalence of nonculprit stenosis hemodynamic significance was 52% in the acute setting and 41% at follow-up. With follow-up, instantaneous wave-free ratio as reference, acute instantaneous wave-free ratio >0.90 had a negative predictive value of 89%. Acute instantaneous wave-free ratio <0.90 had a positive predictive value of 68%. Acute instantaneous wave-free ratio >0.93 had a negative predictive value of 100%. Acute instantaneous wave-free ratio <0.86 and <0.83 had positive predictive values of 71 and 77%. Using acute instantaneous wave-free ratio <0.90 as cutoff for hemodynamic significance yielded the highest degree of classification agreement between acute and follow-up instantaneous wave-free ratio. In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, acute instantaneous wave-free ratio with the cutoff values <0.90 for hemodynamic significance appears optimal in the evaluation of nonculprit stenoses and has a high negative predictive value and a moderate positive predictive value.

An audit of liquid-based cytology samples reported as high-risk human papillomavirus and borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells.

Primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening, testing for the virus responsible for 99% of cervical cancers, was introduced in 2018-2020 in the UK. This was preceded by HPV triage of low-grade cytology from 2012. Much of the evidence incorporated into current National Health Service (NHS) colposcopy guidance assessed outcomes prior to this change in screening. The aim of this paper is to assess adherence to NHS cervical screening programme standards, determine the incidence of cases reported as high-risk HPV plus borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells, to calculate colposcopic accuracy and assess histological outcomes in this cohort. A retrospective audit of women referred to a colposcopy clinic in one NHS trust from 2016 to 2018. Data relating to histological outcomes, cytological follow-up and demographics were collected. Of 2001 referrals, 22 data sets identifying HPV-positive borderline endocervical change were eligible for analysis (1.2% incidence). Median age was 29.5. Two-thirds (68.2%, n = 15) had high-grade dysplasia at diagnostic biopsy. Those women with reassuring histology had normal cytological follow-up. Colposcopic accuracy was moderate (positive predictive value 43.8%, negative predictive value 100%). Borderline nuclear change in endocervical cells is an uncommon condition but should be treated as a high-grade referral. All women should be offered a diagnostic biopsy at the initial colposcopy; if no histopathological abnormality is identified, alternative sources of pathology should be considered. Excisional treatment should be recommended to unreliable attenders, those with a complete family and inadequate colposcopy (TZ3) and considered in younger women with a TZ3.

Development of a Smartphone App for Regional Care Coordination Among High-Risk, Low-Income Patients.

Background: Despite widespread adoption of health information technology, U.S. providers face persistent barriers to coordination of care. We sought to develop and implement a patient-centered smartphone app that facilitates care coordination when patients receive care at any hospital in a region. Materials and Methods: Partnering with patients and primary care teams at a federally qualified health center (FQHC), we developed an app that (1) used real-time location data to identify encounters at 41 regional hospitals; (2) sent notifications to users' phones, asking them to confirm hospital arrival/discharge, and; (3) sent automated messages to primary care teams about confirmed hospital encounters. App design included multiple, successive rounds of active patient participation. In a small beta test of the initial version of the app, high-risk, low-income FQHC patients ran the app on their phone for 3 months. A formative mixed methods evaluation examined the app's technical performance and user experience. Results: Twelve patients enrolled in the beta test and provided follow-up data; 11 (92%) were racial/ethnic minorities. Participants obtained emergency or inpatient care at four regional hospitals. The app had 75% sensitivity to detect events when notifications should have fired, and 90% positive predictive value (PPV) of events when notifications fired. Barriers to implementation related to the app's user interface and the performance of its location tracking algorithm. Conclusions: We partnered with patients from a traditionally underserved population to develop a new smartphone-based approach to regional care coordination. The app had moderate sensitivity and high PPV for identifying regional hospital visits.

Diagnostic evaluation of immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) colitis: The role of CT scan.

821 Background: CPI therapy has expanded rapidly in recent years and represents a major advancement in the treatment of many cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, and colon cancer. However, these therapies are associated with significant toxicities. CPI colitis is one of the most common toxicities and can be fatal, especially when not diagnosed and treated promptly. The current gold standard for diagnosis is endoscopy with biopsy, an invasive procedure that is resource- and time-intensive. CT has emerged as a possible alternative. The primary objective of this study is to identify the diagnostic performance of CT in the evaluation of CPI colitis. Methods: With IRB approval, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who received CPI therapy between 2009-2019 across a single healthcare system. Patients were included if they underwent both abdominal CT and upper/lower endoscopy with biopsy within 72 hours of each other. We reviewed the electronic medical record to identify possible cases of colitis based on either CT or pathology. All cases were labeled as either true positive or false positive based on pathology. We examined clinical characteristics, including CTCAE grade and treatment received. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of CT for diagnosing CPI colitis when compared to the gold standard of tissue diagnosis. Results: Of the 4,474 patients screened, 141 met inclusion criteria. Average age was 63 years (23 – 91); 43% were male. Most common tumor types were melanoma (36%) and NSCLC (20%). Seventy-four percent of patients were treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy. Forty percent had signs of colitis on CT scan and 59% had biopsy-proven CPI colitis. Sensitivity and specificity of CT were 51% and 74%, respectively. PPV of CT was 74% and NPV was 51%. Of those with confirmed CPI colitis, 78% had symptoms that were classified as grade 3 or above. Seventy-three percent received IV steroids and 38% received infliximab. Conclusions: CT demonstrates moderate specificity and PPV and remains an important diagnostic test but does not replace endoscopy/biopsy in the evaluation of CPI colitis.

Oral Leukoplakia and Risk of Progression to Oral Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

The optimal clinical management of oral precancer remains uncertain. We investigated the natural history of oral leukoplakia, the most common oral precancerous lesion, to estimate the relative and absolute risks of progression to cancer, the predictive accuracy of a clinician's decision to biopsy a leukoplakia vis-à-vis progression, and histopathologic predictors of progression. We conducted a retrospective cohort study (1996-2012) of patients with oral leukoplakia (n = 4886), identified using electronic medical records within Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Among patients with leukoplakia who received a biopsy (n = 1888), we conducted a case-cohort study to investigate histopathologic predictors of progression. Analyses included indirect standardization and unweighted or weighted Cox regression. Compared with the overall Kaiser Permanente Northern California population, oral cancer incidence was substantially elevated in oral leukoplakia patients (standardized incidence ratio = 40.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 34.8 to 47.6; n = 161 cancers over 22 582 person-years). Biopsied leukoplakias had a higher oral cancer risk compared with those that were not biopsied (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.73 to 3.28). However, to identify a prevalent or incident oral cancer, the biopsy decision had low sensitivity (59.6%), low specificity (62.1%), and moderate positive-predictive value (5.1%). Risk of progression to oral cancer statistically significantly increased with the grade of dysplasia; 5-year competing risk-adjusted absolute risks were: leukoplakia overall = 3.3%, 95% CI = 2.7% to 3.9%; no dysplasia = 2.2%, 95% CI = 1.5% to 3.1%; mild-dysplasia = 11.9%, 95% CI = 7.1% to 18.1%; moderate-dysplasia = 8.7%, 95% CI = 3.2% to 17.9%; and severe dysplasia = 32.2%, 95% CI = 8.1%-60.0%. Yet 39.6% of cancers arose from biopsied leukoplakias without dysplasia. The modest accuracy of the decision to biopsy a leukoplakia vis-à-vis presence or eventual development of oral cancer highlights the need for routine biopsy of all leukoplakias regardless of visual or clinical impression. Leukoplakia patients, particularly those with dysplasia, need to be closely monitored for signs of early cancer.

Evaluating Race and Ethnicity Reported in Hospital Discharge Data and Its Impact on the Assessment of Health Disparities.

Improving the collection and quality of race and ethnicity reported in hospital data is a key step in identifying disparities in health service utilization and outcomes and opportunities for quality improvement. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of race/ethnicity reported in hospital discharge data and examine the impact on the identification of disparities in select health outcomes in New York City. Using the birth certificate as a gold standard, we examined the quality of hospital discharge race/ethnicity and estimated the impact of misclassification on racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity and preventable hospitalizations. Delivery hospitalizations from the New York State hospital discharge data (Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System) linked with 2015 New York City birth certificates. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). The non-Hispanic white and black race had relatively high sensitivity and PPV. Hispanic ethnicity and Asian race had moderate sensitivity and high PPV, but were often misclassified as "Other." As a result, health disparities may be underestimated for those of Hispanic ethnicity and Asian race, particularly for indicators that use population denominators drawn from another source. The quality of hospital discharge data varies by race/ethnicity and may underestimate disparities in some groups. Future research should validate findings with other data sources, identify driving factors, and evaluate progress over time.

Evaluation of BRAF, RAS, RET/PTC, and PAX8/PPARg alterations in different Bethesda diagnostic categories: A multicentric prospective study on the validity of the 7-gene panel test in 1172 thyroid FNAs deriving from different hospitals in South Italy.

Thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a reliable and cost-effective diagnostic tool for establishing the nature of thyroid nodules, although up to 30% of FNAs are still classified as "indeterminate." Molecular testing of FNAs could improve preoperative diagnosis, thereby reducing unnecessary surgery. In this multicenter prospective studythe authors investigated,using a 7-gene assay, the distribution and diagnostic impact of BRAF, RAS, RET/PTC, and PAX8/PPARg, themost frequent genomic alterations occurring during thyroid oncogenesis. In total, of 1172 routine FNAs from 7 centers in southern Italy were classified according to the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. Each specimen was tested, and molecular data were compared with available histology or cytologic follow-up. In particular, for atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance cases, the 7-gene test confirmed the high positive predictive value of BRAFV600E and BRAF-like mutations (80%) and the moderate positive predictive value of RAS-like alterations (32.4%), suggesting different surgical management, depending on the type of mutation. The rate of mutation-positive FNAs was strictly related to the risk of malignancy of each diagnostic class, supporting the identification of prognostically relevant diagnostic categories. The 7-gene panel test improves the preoperative risk stratification of indeterminate thyroid FNAs, especially when considering the biologic significance of the different types of mutations. Moreover, the rate of mutation-positive FNAs is related to the risk of malignancy of each diagnostic class.

198. Chart Validation of an Algorithm for Identifying Patients with Intravenous Drug Use-Associated Endocarditis Using Administrative Code Data

BackgroundStudies using administrative data have described increasing rates of intravenous drug use (IVDU)-associated infective endocarditis (IE) in the United States. These studies used International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnosis codes to identify hospitalized patients with IE and any illicit drug use (i.e., opioid, amphetamine, cocaine or sedative), but were hindered by absence of specific ICD codes for IVDU. We reviewed charts to determine the positive predictive value (PPV) of ICD codes for identifying patients with IE and IVDU.MethodsWe examined national Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data from January 2010 to December 2017 to identify patients hospitalized for a first episode of potential IVDU-associated IE based on inpatient ICD 9 and 10 codes for both IE and any illicit drug use, the algorithm used to identify IVDU-IE in most prior studies. We randomly selected 100 of these patients nationally and reviewed hospital charts to confirm clinical documentation of: (1) IE, (2) any illicit drug use, and (3) current or past IVDU.ResultsWe identified 340 patients with concurrent ICD codes for IE and drug use, increasing from 28 in 2010 to 51 in 2017 (82% increase). In chart review of 100 randomly selected patients, the PPV of ICD codes was 93% (95% CI 88–98%) for a documented clinical diagnosis of IE; 96% (95% CI 92–100%) for documented drug use by any route; and 63% (95% CI 53–73%) for documented IVDU. Among the 37% of patients without clinically documented IVDU, 30% (i.e.,11% of total patients) had clinical documentation stating that drug use was only by non-IV routes, 59% (22% of total) had documented drug use without mention of route of use, and 11% (4% of total) had clinical documentation that patients denied any drug use.ConclusionThe incidence of first hospitalization for IE among patients with ICD codes for drug use increased by 82% from 2010 to 2017 in VA care. Concurrent ICD codes for illicit drug use had moderate PPV for identifying IVDU in setting of IE, largely due to identification of patients using drugs without documented intravenous use. There is a need to develop more accurate case-finding algorithms for identifying patients with IVDU-associated endocarditis, for both epidemiologic surveillance and quality improvement applications.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

P6183Diagnostic performance of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve in patients with acute myocardial infarction and moderate non-culprit coronary stenosis

Abstract Background Revascularisation of significant non-culprit coronary lesions (NCL) may improve clinical outcome in patients with myocardial infarction and multi vessel disease, however management of moderate NCLs is still controversial. Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) are accepted methods to detect myocardial ischemia, nevertheless coronary CT angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) is a new modality, which has not been widely investigated to date in patients with NCLs. Purpose Our aim was to determine the diagnostic performance of CT-FFR compared to DSE and invasive FFR. Methods In this prospective trial, DSE, FFR and CT-FFR were performed in every patient with MI and at least one moderate NCL (30–70% diameter stenosis by visual assessment). New or worsening wall motion abnormality in at least two contiguous myocardial segments on DSE, and FFR value&lt;0.8 in invasive FFR and CT-FFR as well were determined as abnormal. In comparison, DSE and FFR were regarded as reference standard methods. Results Between March of 2017 and December of 2018, 51 patients (58.2±10.4 years, 74.5% male) were enrolled and 71 NCLs (40 LAD, 13 LCx, 18 RCA) were investigated. Dobutamine stress echocardiography, FFR and CT-FFR were positive in 30.9%, 32.3% and 22.5% of all lesions, respectively. FFR values were higher with CT-FFR compared to invasive FFR (0.85±0.11 vs. 0.83±0.08, p&lt;0.05). Compared to DSE, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of CT-FFR were 40.9%, 85.7%, 56.2%, 76.3% and 71.8%, respectively. The same values were 39.1%, 85.4%, 56.2%, 74.5% and 70.4% compared to invasive FFR, respectively. Correspondence of CT-FFR with DSE (k=0.29) and with FFR (k=0.27) was weak. Conclusion This is the first study that compares the three modalities in the evaluation of moderate NCLs. Our results demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy, excellent specificity, poor sensitivity and PPV and acceptable NPV of CT-FFR compared to DSE and FFR. At this stage, CT-FFR is probably not accurate enough to determine revascularisation strategy of moderate NCLs as a single non-invasive method.

Clinical utility of noninvasive prenatal screening for expanded chromosome disease syndromes

PurposeTo assess the clinical performance of an expanded noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) test (“NIPS-Plus”) for detection of both aneuploidy and genome-wide microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (MMS). MethodsA total of 94,085 women with a singleton pregnancy were prospectively enrolled in the study. The cell-free plasma DNA was directly sequenced without intermediate amplification and fetal abnormalities identified using an improved copy-number variation (CNV) calling algorithm. ResultsA total of 1128 pregnancies (1.2%) were scored positive for clinically significant fetal chromosome abnormalities. This comprised 965 aneuploidies (1.026%) and 163 (0.174%) MMS. From follow-up tests, the positive predictive values (PPVs) for T21, T18, T13, rare trisomies, and sex chromosome aneuploidies were calculated as 95%, 82%, 46%, 29%, and 47%, respectively. For known MMS (n=32), PPVs were 93% (DiGeorge), 68% (22q11.22 microduplication), 75% (Prader–Willi/Angleman), and 50% (Cri du Chat). For the remaining genome-wide MMS (n=88), combined PPVs were 32% (CNVs ≥10Mb) and 19% (CNVs <10Mb). ConclusionNIPS-Plus yielded high PPVs for common aneuploidies and DiGeorge syndrome, and moderate PPVs for other MMS. Our results present compelling evidence that NIPS-Plus can be used as a first-tier pregnancy screening method to improve detection rates of clinically significant fetal chromosome abnormalities.

Moderate positive predictive value of a multiplex real-time PCR on whole blood for pathogen detection in critically ill patients with sepsis

A novel multiplex real-time PCR for bloodstream infections (BSI-PCR) detects pathogens directly in blood. This study aimed at determining the positive predictive value (PPV) of BSI-PCR in critically ill patients with sepsis. We included consecutive patients with presumed sepsis upon admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The multiplexed BSI-PCR included 17 individual PCRs for a broad panel of species- and genus-specific DNA targets. BSI-PCR results were compared with a reference diagnosis for which plausibility of infection and causative pathogen(s) had been prospectively assessed by trained observers, based on available clinical and microbiological evidence. PPV and false positive proportion (FPP) were calculated. Clinical plausibility of discordant positive results was adjudicated by an expert panel. Among 325 patients, infection likelihood was categorized as confirmed, uncertain, and ruled out in 210 (65%), 88 (27%), and 27 (8%) subjects, respectively. BSI-PCR identified one or more microorganisms in 169 (52%) patients, of whom 104 (61%) had at least one detection in accordance with the reference diagnosis. Discordant positive PCR results were observed in 95 patients, including 30 subjects categorized as having an “unknown” pathogen. Based on 5525 individual PCRs yielding 295 positive results, PPV was 167/295 (57%) and FPP was 128/5525 (2%). Expert adjudication of the 128 discordant PCR findings resulted in an adjusted PPV of 68% and FPP of 2%. BSI-PCR was all-negative in 156 patients, including 79 (51%) patients in whom infection was considered ruled out. BSI-PCR may complement conventional cultures and expedite the microbiological diagnosis of sepsis in ICU patients, but improvements in positive predictive value of the test are warranted before its implementation in clinical practice can be considered.

A highly predictive signature of cognition and brain atrophy for progression to Alzheimer's dementia.

BackgroundClinical trials in Alzheimer's disease need to enroll patients whose cognition will decline over time, if left untreated, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of an intervention. Machine learning models used to screen for patients at risk of progression to dementia should therefore favor specificity (detecting only progressors) over sensitivity (detecting all progressors), especially when the prevalence of progressors is low. Here, we explore whether such high-risk patients can be identified using cognitive assessments and structural neuroimaging by training machine learning tools in a high-specificity regime.ResultsA multimodal signature of Alzheimer's dementia was first extracted from the ADNI1 dataset. We then validated the predictive value of this signature on ADNI1 patients with mild cognitive impairment (N = 235). The signature was optimized to predict progression to dementia over 3 years with low sensitivity (55.1%) but high specificity (95.6%), resulting in only moderate accuracy (69.3%) but high positive predictive value (80.4%, adjusted for a “typical” 33% prevalence rate of true progressors). These results were replicated in ADNI2 (N = 235), with 87.8% adjusted positive predictive value (96.7% specificity, 47.3% sensitivity, 85.1% accuracy).ConclusionsWe found that cognitive measures alone could identify high-risk individuals, with structural measurements providing a slight improvement. The signature had comparable receiver operating characteristics to standard machine learning tools, yet a marked improvement in positive predictive value was achieved over the literature by selecting a high-specificity operating point. The multimodal signature can be readily applied for the enrichment of clinical trials.

A Prediction Model for Severe AKI in Critically Ill Adults That Incorporates Clinical and Biomarker Data.

Critically ill patients with worsening AKI are at high risk for poor outcomes. Predicting which patients will experience progression of AKI remains elusive. We sought to develop and validate a risk model for predicting severe AKI within 72 hours after intensive care unit admission. We applied least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression methodology to two prospectively enrolled, critically ill cohorts of patients who met criteria for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, enrolled within 24-48 hours after hospital admission. The risk models were derived and internally validated in 1075 patients and externally validated in 262 patients. Demographics and laboratory and plasma biomarkers of inflammation or endothelial dysfunction were used in the prediction models. Severe AKI was defined as Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stage 2 or 3. Severe AKI developed in 62 (8%) patients in the derivation, 26 (8%) patients in the internal validation, and 15 (6%) patients in the external validation cohorts. In the derivation cohort, a three-variable model (age, cirrhosis, and soluble TNF receptor-1 concentrations [ACT]) had a c-statistic of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.91 to 0.97). The ACT model performed well in the internal (c-statistic, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.96) and external (c-statistic, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89 to 0.97) validation cohorts. The ACT model had moderate positive predictive values (0.50-0.95) and high negative predictive values (0.94-0.95) for severe AKI in all three cohorts. ACT is a simple, robust model that could be applied to improve risk prognostication and better target clinical trial enrollment in critically ill patients with AKI.

Diagnostic accuracies of screening for atrial fibrillation by cardiac nurses versus radiographers

AimWe examined the diagnostic accuracy of single-lead ECG as assessed by radiographers and 12-lead ECG as assessed by cardiac nurses for the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsBased on the Danish...

Diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous biopsy in retroperitoneal sarcoma.

Percutaneous biopsy is recommended before surgery for suspected retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) to confirm the histological diagnosis and guide surgical strategy. The present study aimed to establish the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous core biopsy with respect to histological diagnosis and tumour grade. Data on patients with suspected RPS who underwent percutaneous biopsy followed by surgical resection between 2005 and 2016 at one of two tertiary European sarcoma units were reviewed. Histological tumour type and tumour grade on biopsy were correlated with postoperative histology to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. A total of 239 patients underwent percutaneous core biopsy followed by surgical resection in Milan (163, 68·2 per cent) or Birmingham (76, 31·8 per cent). Diagnostic accuracy varied with histological diagnosis (P < 0·001), but demonstrated overall concordance with final pathology following resection in 67·2 per cent of biopsies (κ = 0·606). The majority of discrepancies occurred in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS), owing to under-recognition of dedifferentiation in this group. Concordance between pathology on biopsy and resection improved to 81·1 per cent when DDLPS and well differentiated liposarcoma were grouped together as liposarcoma. Grade on biopsy was concordant with grade on resection specimen in 60·4 per cent of tumours (κ = 0·640). Diagnosis of high-grade tumours on biopsy had a high specificity (98 per cent), and moderate positive predictive value (85 per cent) and negative predictive value (78 per cent). A diagnosis of DDLPS or leiomyosarcoma on percutaneous biopsy is highly reliable. High-grade sarcomas can be identified with high specificity, which opens the door to a study on neoadjuvant therapy in these patients.

Validity and concordance of self-reported diabetes mellitus by the elderly

The scope of this study was to verify the validity and concordance of self-reported diabetes (DM) by the elderly in Campina Grande, State of Paraíba. It involved a cross-sectional home-based study, conducted with 362 elderly people aged 60 years of age and above registered in the Family Health Strategy (FHS) Program in Campina Grande, State of Paraíba. A sensitivity calculation, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) in relation to demographic and socioeconomic variables was carried out to verify the validity and reliability of self-reported DM. The Kappa test was used to verify the concordance between the diagnosis and the reporting of the disease. Among the study participants, 67.4% were women. The prevalence of diagnosed DM of 14.1% and self-reported DM of 18.1% was observed Moderate sensitivity (58.8%), excellent specificity (87.8%), moderate PPV (44.8%) and excellent NPV (92.7%), and moderate concordance of self-reported DM (Kappa = 0.413 p < 0.001) was observed. In this study, due to moderate validity and concordance of self-reported DM among the elderly, it is considered not to be advisable that self-reported DM should be used as a disease prevalence indicator in the population studied.

Trichomonas vaginalis infection and the diagnostic significance of detection tests among Ghanaian outpatients

BackgroundThere is little data on Trichomonas vaginalis infection in Ghana. This study evaluated the prevalence of trichomoniasis using different diagnostic methods and determined the risk factors for infection in patients.MethodsA structured questionnaire was administered. Vaginal swabs, urethral swabs and urine specimens were obtained from consenting patients; and the samples processed following standard protocols. The presence of T. vaginalis was determined using wet mount microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as gold standard. We also assessed the diagnostic performance the JD’s Trichomonas V® rapid antigen test to inform clinical practice.ResultsThe PCR assay detected T. vaginalis positivity in 64 of 150 patients (42.6, 95%CI:35.0, 50.6) including all positive samples of wet mount microscopy and JD’s Trichomonas V® test. Wet mount microscopy showed low sensitivity (31.6%), high specificity (100%), moderate positive predictive value (75.0%), moderate positive likelihood ratio (3.0), and weak agreement (Cohen’s kappa, 0.283) with PCR assay. The JD’s Trichomonas V® test displayed lower sensitivity (25.0%), specificity (83.3%), and weaker measure of agreement (Cohen’s kappa, 0.233) with PCR. In multivariate analysis, the strongest independent predictor for T. vaginalis was female gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 24.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 10.58, 51.21; P-value< 0.001]. Knowledge of STI showed a protective effect against infection with the parasite (AOR, 0.13; 95%CI: 0.07, 0.29; P-value< 0.017).ConclusionThe sensitivity of wet mount microscopy was low for T. vaginalis screening in our region. The JD’s Trichomonas V® test should not be considered as an alternative test. We recommend mandatory PCR assay for confirmation of negative wet mount results.

The accuracy of automated oscillometry compared to manual doppler in measuring ankle brachial index in suspected peripheral arterial disease patients: a systematic review

Background: Golden standard to diagnose Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is angiography. A more common and practical alternative technique is by calculating Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) using Oscillometry as systolic blood pressure measurement. Though, its accuracy remains obscure.Methods: A systematic search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar database. There were 11 articles were found after reviewed for the title and abstract by inclusion and exclusion criteria. However, only 6 articles were relevant and used by the authors.Results: Based on the six journals appraised, the sensitivity of automated oscillometry in detecting PAD (ABI &lt;0.9) ranged from 0.4-0.7. The specificity, however, showed better result around 0.75-1. It shows that those patients who scored negative for PAD with oscillometry are not likely to have the disease. Automated oscillometry in studies appraised was also seen to have moderate positive and negative predictive value, which may indicate the possibility of this simpler diagnostic tool to be used to screen PAD. Most of the studies demonstrated good likelihood ratio for oscillometry, which even adds more power to oscillometry as a PAD diagnostic tool.Conclusion: Automated oscillometry was comparable with manual Doppler due to its high specificity. Several advantages were identified such as; oscillometry required less reliant on the specialized skills, commonly available, reliable, and simple to use which can be performed by primary care physicians even in their primitive set up. Thus, the oscillometric method can be utilized as an alternative in diagnosing patients suspected with PAD.

Does the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 at 3 years of age predict developmental coordination disorder at 4.5 years of age in children born very preterm?

BackgroundVery preterm children (VPT) are at high risk for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) Test is commonly used to identify children with DCD, but little is known about the predictive validity of this assessment in this population. AimsThe aims of this study were to determine if MABC-2 scores at 3 years can predict DCD at 4.5 years and if DCD can be reliably identified in VPT children at 3 years. Methods and proceduresIn a retrospective sample of 165 VPT children, logistic regression was used to determine if the MABC-2 score at 3 years is predictive of DCD at 4.5 years. Cross-tabulations were used to determine the relationship between scores at 3 years and DCD at 4.5 years. Outcomes and resultsMABC-2 scores at age 3 were a significant predictor (OR = 0.82, p = 0.001) of DCD diagnosis at 4.5 years. The MABC-2 has excellent sensitivity (90%), moderate specificity (69%), small to moderate positive predictive value (38%) and high negative predictive value (97%). Conclusions and implicationsThe MABC-2 is highly sensitive in identifying VPT children with DCD, but also has many false positives. MABC-2 scores can reliably predict VPT children who are not at risk of DCD.