Simple Screening Questionnaire Research Articles

Development and validation of a persistent postural-perceptual dizziness screening questionnaire

Objective: To develop a simple screening questionnaire for persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) and evaluate its screening ability. Methods: A convenience sample of 296 individuals who met the inclusion criteria between November 2021 and January 2023 were prospectively selected for three rounds of screening at the Vertigo Specialty Clinic of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. In conjunction with expert opinion and statistical analysis, the first and second rounds of screening were used to modify and finalize the questionnaire entries, and the third round of screening was used to evaluate the questionnaire's screening ability. Independent sample t-test was used for inter group comparison, reliability and validity indicators were employed to screen and evaluate questionnaire entries, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine the optimal cut-off value and corresponding sensitivity and specificity. Results: The final PPPD screening questionnaire entries included 21 items. In evaluating the reliability of this questionnaire, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.831, the half folding coefficient was 0.742, the content validity was 0.86, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value in the structural validity was 0.811. Additionally, there were six factors with characteristic root>1 and a cumulative contribution rate of 62.62%. The area under the ROC curve of the screening questionnaire was 0.935 (95%CI: 0.877-0.992), and the optimal cut-off value was 8.5, with a sensitivity of 85.0%, a specificity of 85.5%, and a Kappa value of 0.653. Conclusion: The PPPD simple screening questionnaire designed in this study has a high sensitivity and specificity, making it a useful tool for identifying PPPD patients.

Associations of sleep apnea risk and oxygen desaturation indices with cerebral small vessel disease burden in patients with stroke.

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Nonetheless, whether OSA-risk determined by a simple screening questionnaire or indices quantifying nocturnal hypoxemia other than the conventional apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) by the home sleep apnea test (HSAT) associated with CSVD burden remains uncertain.MethodsFrom 2018 to 2021, we recruited patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA)/minor stroke from the Queen Mary Hospital Acute Stroke Unit and TIA/Stroke Outpatient Clinics. Logistic regression models were applied to determine the association of baseline OSA-risk (on STOP-BANG questionnaire) or HSAT-derived indices quantifying nocturnal hypoxemia with global burden/individual markers of CSVD on MRI. Indices included oxygen desaturation (≥3%) index (ODI), minimum oxygen saturation (SpO2), percentage of total sleep time with an oxygen saturation <90% (CT90%), and desaturation duration (≥3%, DesDur).ResultsIn 283 patients with TIA/minor stroke (mean age 65 years, 64% men), OSA-risk was significantly associated with total CSVD score (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio: 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.51), presence of lacunes [1.39 (1.09–1.79)] and burden of basal ganglia PVSs [1.32 (1.06–1.67)]. In 85/283 patients who completed HSAT, neither AHI, minimum SpO2 nor CT90% was associated with CSVD burden. Nonetheless, ODI and DesDur remained significantly associated with total CSVD score after covariate adjustment: ODI [1.04 (1.01–1.07)] and DesDur [1.04 (1.01–1.08)].ConclusionIn patients with TIA/minor stroke, high OSA-risk was associated with a greater CSVD burden. Oxygen desaturation indices (ODI and DesDur) rather than AHI were independently associated with global CSVD burden, indicating that longer and more severe desaturations may contribute to the pathogenesis of CSVD.

The translation and psychometric assessment of the SCOFF eating disorder screening questionnaire: the Persian version

BackgroundEating Disorders (EDs) are defined by abnormal eating habits. The SCOFF (Sick-Control-One stone-Fat-Food) is a simple screening questionnaire for EDs. This study was conducted to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the SCOFF questionnaire in Iranian university students.MethodsA total of 310 Iranian students of the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences completed a test battery of questionnaires including the well-known screener of eating disorder symptoms, the SCOFF. All measures were presented to the participants in Persian. The 5-item SCOFF questionnaire was translated to Persian using the forward–backward method. The face, content, criterion, and construct validity of the Persian version of the SCOFF were assessed. The validity and reliability of the Persian version of the SCOFF was assessed and factor analysis was conducted.ResultsAll five items of the translated questionnaire were approved after face validity. Content validity ratio was 0.73 (range 0.66–0.83) and content validity index was 0.96 (range 0.91–1), so all items were approved. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor structure, which explained 52.47% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a very good goodness-of-fit for the 2-factor model. 2-factor and 1-factor models indicate a very good goodness-of-fit in females and adequate goodness-of-fit in males. Criterion validity showed an acceptable correlation between the SCOFF and the EDE-Q. Reliability was acceptable based on the stability [ICC = 0.905(95% CI .760–.962 p < 0.001)] and the internal consistency (KR20 = 0.4).ConclusionAppropriate psychometric properties of the 5-item Persian version of the SCOFF (both models) were confirmed, suggesting its use as a valid questionnaire in EDs screening.

Malnutrition is associated with dysphagia in Vietnamese older adult inpatients.

The number of older adults is increasing rapidly in Vietnam. They suffer from various health problems, including malnutrition and dysphagia. By using a simple screening questionnaire such as the Mini Nutritional Assessment - Short Form (MNA-SF) and 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), nutritional and dysphagic status were screened in this study. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of and relationship between malnutrition and dysphagia in Vietnamese older adult inpatients. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study and conducted in three large hospitals in northern Vietnam. The data about nutritional status and dysphagia status of 1007 older inpatients were collected by dietitians. There were 71.6% of subjects at malnourished (MNA-SF score <8) and risk of malnutrition (MNA-SF score: 8-11). The prevalence of dysphagia by EAT-10 was 24.6%. The risk of dysphagia was independently associated with higher risk of malnutrition, with an odds ratio of 3.21 (95% CI: 1.93-5.31, p<0.001). In addition, malnutrition was also an independent predictor for risk of dysphagia, with an odds ratio of 3.09 (95% CI: 1.84- 5.17, p<0.001). Malnutrition and dysphagia prevalence were high; and malnutrition and dysphagia have a strong relationship among older adult inpatients in Vietnam. Therefore, nutritional and dysphagia screening at hospital admission are very important and recommended.

The RAI-6 Questionnaire: A New Screening Questionnaire to Monitor Complications of Radioiodine Treatment.

Objective: The aim of this study is to develop a simple and efficient screening questionnaire to be able to routinely monitor potential radioiodine therapy-induced complications.Materials and Methods: A new radioiodine 6 (RAI-6) questionnaire containing six questions adressing salivary, ocular, and nasal symptoms as well as quality of life was developed. Validation of the RAI-6 questionnaire was assessed with a group of fifty-four patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma treated post-operatively with radioiodine therapy, and in a group of fifty healthy volunteers. The patient's group was subdivided into subgroups according to the radioiodine dose received: 23 patients received less or 30 mCi, 28 patients received 100 mCi, and three patients received between 200 and 300 mCi. We asked the patients to complete the RAI-6 questionnaire in a retrospective manner, regarding their situation before radioiodine therapy and regarding their actual symptoms after radioiodine therapy. The time needed to complete the RAI-6 was also assessed both in patients and in healthy volunteers.Results: The mean post radioiodine treatment RAI-6 score were significantly higher than the mean pre radioiodine RAI-6 scores (p < 0.001) and the scores of healthy participants (p < 0.001). The mean total RAI-6 scores increased significantly with increasing radioiodine dose. A total mean RAI-6 score of each question was also analysed and revealed that ocular and nasal discomfort as well as quality of life were the items which affected the patients most after radioiodine treatment. The mean time to fill the RAI-6 questionnaire was 2 min for patients and 49 s for healthy volunteers.Conclusion: The RAI-6 represents a new questionnaire which is easy and quick to complete. This simple screening tool can be recommended for general clinical practise and further epidemiological research.

EXPERIENCE IN USING A SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE THAT IDENTIFIES GROUNDS FOR CONSULTING A PSYCHIATRIST IN CHILDREN'S CANCER HOSPITALS

This article presents the results of using a simple closed screening questionnaire for oncopediatricians to identify mental disorders in children and adolescents with cancer. Long-term experience of monitoring underage patients suffering from cancer suggests that borderline mental disorders are widespread among these patients. Their diagnosis and therapy, which go beyond traditional specialized cancer care, require practitioners to have appropriate qualifications, which many pediatric oncologists do not have. To facilitate the selection of patients who need to consult a psychiatrist, oncopediatriciansare offered a simple screening questionnaire, which takes a minimum of time to complete, and which can be easily used when examining all patients under treatment.

Improving Utilization of Aspirin for Prevention of Preeclampsia in a High-Risk Urban Cohort: A Prospective Cohort Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention before and after implementation of a screening tool during nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound. One-year prospective cohort study of patients at high risk for preeclampsia after the implementation of a screening tool (postscreen) administered to all patients at check in for NT (11-13 weeks) ultrasound. Prospective cohort was compared with one-year retrospective cohort (prescreen) the year prior (2017). All patients who presented for NT ultrasound in both cohorts were evaluated for the presence of one or more risk factor for preeclampsia with screening tool collected prospectively and chart review retrospectively. Provider recommendation for aspirin determined by documentation in prenatal record. Primary outcome was rate of provider recommendation for aspirin pre versus post screening tool, compared by Chi-square test and adjusted for potential confounders with multiple regression analysis. Pre- (n = 156) and postscreen (n = 136) cohorts were similar except for race and multifetal gestation. Prescreen, rate of provider recommendation for aspirin was 74%. Of those with prior preeclampsia, 96% were recommended aspirin, compared with 64% of patients with other risk factors (p < 0.001). Postscreen, provider recommendation of aspirin improved to 95% (p < 0.001). Rate of preeclampsia/gestational hypertension were similar between cohorts; however, there was a reduced adjusted risk in overall preterm birth <37 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.50 [0.25-0.99]) and preterm birth <34 weeks (aOR = 0.33 [0.13-0.88]) postscreening tool implementation. Prior to implementation of a simple screening questionnaire, approximately 25% of high risk patients did not receive the recommendation of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention. High-risk patients who lack a history of preeclampsia were less likely to be advised of aspirin prophylaxis. Use of a simple universal screening tool at time of NT ultrasound significantly improved utilization of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention and may improve patient outcomes. · Despite recommendations, aspirin use for preeclampsia prevention is suboptimal.. · High-risk patients who lack a history preeclampsia were less likely to be advised of aspirin use.. · A simple universal screening tool can significantly improve aspirin utilization..

Ability of Spine Specialists to Identify Psychosocial Risk Factors as Obstacles to Recovery in Patients with Low Back Pain-Related Disorders.

Study DesignProspective study.PurposeYellow flags are psychosocial associated with a greater likelihood of progression to persistent pain and disability. These are referred to as obstacles to recovery. Despite their recognized importance, it is unknown how effective clinicians are in detecting them. The primary objective of this study was thus to determine the effectiveness of spine specialist clinicians in detecting the presence of yellow flags in patients presenting to an orthopedic outpatient clinic with low back-related disorders.Overview of LiteraturePsychosocial factors have been previously studied as important predictors of prognosis in patients with low back pain. However, the ability of spinal specialist to identify them remains unknown.MethodsA prospective, single-center, consecutive cohort study was conducted over a period of 30 months. All new patients with low back-related disorders regardless of pathology completed a Yellow Flag Questionnaire that was adapted from the psychosocial flags framework. Clinicians assessing these patients completed a standardized form to determine which and how many yellow flags they had identified during the consultation.ResultsA total of 130 patients were included in the analysis, and the clinicians reported an average of 5 flags (range, 0–9). Fear of movement or injury was the most frequently reported yellow flag, reported by 87.7% (n=114) of patients. Clinician sensitivity in detecting yellow flags was poor, correctly identifying only 2 flags, on average, of the 5 reported by patients, with an overall sensitivity of only 39%.ConclusionsThe ability of spine specialists to identify yellow flags is poor and can be improved by asking patients to complete a simple screening questionnaire.

Developing of a Simple Screening Tool for Opportunistic COPD Case Finding

Abstract Background Under diagnosis of COPD is serious problem in many countries world-wide because there are no generally detection tools available to detect high-risk patients for spirometry, and patients will not go for COPD check-up until a serious issue happens like exacerbation. Objective The aim of the work is trying to assess a new screening tool for early diagnosis of COPD. Patients and Methods The present study was conducted upon 500 subjects during the period from march 2018 to august 2018 who admitted to our chest department or visit our outpatient clinic, employees and visitors to Ain Sham hospitals.All subjects &amp;gt;40yrs who smoker or ex-smoker(≥10pack-years) applied a six variants(age,sex,packed years smoked during life ,dyspnea,chronic phlegmand chronic cohgh)questionnaire modified from PUMA questionnaire Subjects with score ≥5 did spirometry Results 500 subjects shared in the study 497 of them were males ( 99.4% )and 3 were females (.6%). 152of them(30.4%) had score &amp;lt;5 and 348 of them (69.6%)had score ≥5 who did spirometry.152 subjects did not perform spirometry. By spirometry we diagnosed 81(23.3) case COPD (fev1-fvc &amp;lt;.7) out of 348 subjects under gone spirometry and 16.2% of total subjects(500) . Conclusion Modified puma score is a simple and easy screening questionnaire for early detection of COPD cases and spirometry should be done to confirm the diagnosis or rule out.COPD is prevalent in many healthy apparent persons.

Reliability and validity of the self-reported frailty screening questionnaire in older adults.

Background:Frailty is one of the most important risk factors for adverse outcomes in older adults. Despite a high prevalence, there is still a lack of frailty screening instruments specific to Chinese older adults. We developed a simple frailty screening questionnaire (FSQ) that could predict long-term mortality. We aimed to explore the reliability and construct validity of this new measurement tool.Methods:A total of 205 individuals aged 65 years or older were recruited in this study. The FSQ and frailty phenotype were assessed. The FSQ included self-reported slowness, weakness, weight loss, inactivity, and exhaustion. A subgroup of 109 participants completed the FSQ a second time 2 weeks later for test–retest reliability. Frailty phenotype included slowness, exhaustion, weight loss, weakness, and inactivity.Results:The intraclass correlation coefficient for the FSQ, slowness, weakness, weight loss, inactivity and exhaustion were 0.937, 0.938, 0.934, 0.921, 0.826, and 0.832, respectively. Using a cut-off of 3, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic were 52.6%, 93.5%, and 0.883 (p < 0.001), respectively. The kappa coefficient between the FSQ and frailty phenotype was 0.431 (p < 0.001). FSQ score was negatively correlated with walking speed and grip strength, and positively correlated with age. Frailty defined by the FSQ was associated with older age, chronic diseases, and worse physical function.Conclusions:The FSQ is a potentially useful, reliable, and valid instrument in screening frailty in older adults, and can be recommended to identify frailty in clinical settings.

753: Utilization of aspirin for prevention of preeclampsia in a high risk urban cohort

Evaluate utilization of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention before and after implementation of a screening tool during nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound. One year prospective cohort study of patients at high risk for preeclampsia after the implementation of a screening tool (post-screen) administered to all patients at check in for NT (11-13 week) ultrasound. Prospective cohort was compared to one year retrospective cohort (pre-screen) the year prior (2017). All patients who presented for NT ultrasound in both cohorts were evaluated for ≥1 high risk factor for preeclampsia (Table) by screening tool collected prospectively and chart review retrospectively. Provider recommendation for aspirin determined by documentation in prenatal record. Primary outcome was rate of provider recommendation for aspirin pre versus post screening tool, compared by chi-square analysis and adjusted for potential confounders with multiple regression analysis. Pre- (N=156) and post-screen (N=136) cohorts were similar except race and multifetal gestation (Table). Pre-screen, rate of provider recommendation for aspirin was 74%. Of those with prior preeclampsia, 96% were recommended aspirin, compared to 64% of patients with another risk factor (p< .001). Post-screen, provider recommendation of aspirin improved to 95% (p< 0.001), and aspirin recommendation for those with another risk factor but without prior preeclampsia also improved to 92% (Figure). Post-screening tool cohort had an increased adjusted odds of aspirin recommendation (OR 10.0 (3.7-26.8), p< .001). Implementation research is critical for evaluating and optimizing the real world use of national guidelines. Prior to implementation of a simple screening questionnaire, approximately 25% of high risk patients did not receive the recommendation of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention; those who lack a history preeclampsia were significantly less likely to be advised of aspirin prophylaxis. Use of a simple universal screening tool at time of NT ultrasound significantly improved utilization of aspirin for preeclampsia prevention.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Obstructive sleep apnoea and open heart surgery: a review of its incidence and impact to patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious health disorder which contributes to cardiovascular complications, decreased work productivity, automobile accidents, and death. This condition is characterized by a temporary cessation of breathing resulting due to upper airway closure during a person's sleep. Strain to the heart caused by this repetitive hypoxic insult can lead to postoperative complications for patients undergoing heart surgery. Recognizing cardiac surgical patients with OSA is important. Early recognition and intervention such as use of BiPAP device can reduce the postoperative complications due to OSA. The aim of this study is to identify the incidence of unrecognized OSA in cardiac surgical patients. This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective data of the study which was done between July 2012 and July 2013 in University Malaya Medical Center. All patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were recruited and the demographic data, questionnaire and the portable sleep study results were obtained. Patients were followed up till 30 days to record any complications. Data were entered in SPSS version 17 and analysis was done. The incidence of OSA was 61.4% and 43.5% were moderate to severe OSA. There was male predominance of OSA (79%) with a mean age of 60 years. OSA subjects had shorter inter-incisor distance (4.18±0.6 cm) and larger waistline (94.1±12.1 cm). The STOP-Bang questionnaire has a sensitivity of 75.8% in predicting apnoa-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5/hour. OSA can be diagnosed with a simple screening questionnaire and a bedside portable sleep study. Cardiac patients diagnosed with OSA can be pre-emptively given extra attention in managing their postoperative care.

Towards seeing the visual impairments in Parkinson\u2019s disease: protocol for a multicentre observational, cross-sectional study

BackgroundVisual disorders are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but their exact frequency and severity are unknown. Good visual functioning is crucial for patients with PD, because of their need to compensate for loss of automated motor control and their postural instability, forcing patients to guide their movements visually. Here, we describe the study design of a cross-sectional, multi-centre study aiming to: (1) validate the Visual Impairment screening questionnaire (VIPD-Q, which aims to identify PD patients who should be referred to an ophthalmologist for further assessment); (2) study the prevalence of visual disorders in PD; (3) study the severity and clinical impact of different types of visual disorders in PD; and (4) explore treatment options for ophthalmologic disorders in PD, as a basis for future guideline development.MethodsThis study consists of two phases. In phase one, 750 PD patients and 250 healthy controls will be recruited to complete the VIPD-Q. In phase two, a subgroup of responders (n = 100) (with the highest and lowest scores on the VIPD-Q) will be invited for an extensive neurological and ophthalmological assessment. The in-depth ophthalmologic examination will serve as the “gold standard” for validating the VIPD-Q. Moreover, these assessments will be used to study associations between visual disorders and clinical presentation, in order to gain more insight in their clinical impact.DiscussionOur study will heighten the awareness of visual problems in PD and offers a robust starting point to systematically approach this subject. In current daily practice, the association between visual problems and PD is far from obvious to both patients and clinicians. Consequently, patients may not adequately report visual problems themselves, while clinicians miss potentially treatable visual disorders. Routinely asking patients to complete a simple screening questionnaire could be an easy solution leading to timely identification of visual problems, tailored treatment, restored mobility, greater independence and improved quality of life.Trial registrationDutch Trial Registration, NL7421, Registered on 4 December 2018 – Retrospectively registered.

Development of a self-scored persistent airflow obstruction screening questionnaire in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama study.

BackgroundThe use of a simple screening questionnaire to detect persistent airflow obstruction (AO) in COPD may facilitate the early, accurate diagnosis of COPD in general practice settings.ObjectiveThis study developed an original persistent AO questionnaire for screening individuals with COPD in a general Japanese population.MethodsA working group was established to generate initial draft questionnaire items about COPD. Eligible subjects aged 40 and older living in Japan were solicited to participate in a health checkup from 2014 to 2015. In study I, 2,338 subjects who fully completed the initial draft questionnaire and who had valid spirometry measurements were statistically analyzed to determine the final questionnaire items as a COPD screening questionnaire (COPD-Q). Persistent AO was defined as a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.70. In study II, the working group analyzed the weighted scores for individual items and established a cutoff point for the COPD-Q based on the data of 2,066 subjects in the Hisayama study. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the ability of the COPD-Q to discriminate between subjects with and without AO.ResultsThe five-item COPD-Q was established based on 19 initial draft items in study I and the weighted scores of individual items. The overall area under the ROC curve for the COPD-Q was 0.796 (95% confidence interval, 0.707–0.788). A cutoff of 4 points resulted in a sensitivity of 71.0% and a specificity of 70.1%. The positive predictive value was 10.8%, and the negative predictive value was 97.9%. The crude odds ratio of the COPD-Q for AO was 5.8.ConclusionThe five-item COPD-Q is a useful questionnaire for diagnosing persistent AO in a general Japanese population and is expected to be an effective first-stage screening tool for detecting COPD.

Brief alcohol intervention in alcohol involved facial fracture patients-a survey of patient attitudes to screening and intervention.

Alcohol intoxication is an important contributor to traumatic facial injuries. The period following injuries afford clinicians a useful window of opportunity to provide alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) which may affect changes in patients' future drinking behaviour. Although SBI has been reported to decrease at risk drinking and potentially trauma recurrence, it is not routinely utilised in most clinical settings in the world. This study aims to assess utilisation of, as well as patients' knowledge and attitude towards SBI in the management of patients presenting with alcohol-related facial fractures. Twenty consecutive patients who presented to Western Health with facial fractures who met selection criteria were offered an alcohol screening and survey questionnaire. Ninety percent of patients were male and 50% were aged between 19 and 34. ASSIST score showed 65% were in the moderate risk category; 75% reported this was their first admission with alcohol related trauma. Although 75% acknowledged alcohol as a main cause of injury, only 40% agreed they drink too much. Forty-four percent felt that talking to a healthcare worker might help and 33% would consider accepting help. Forty-seven percent felt reading materials would be helpful in changing future drinking habits. Whilst 63% would like to know safe drinking limit, only 45% would like to have a discussion about alcohol-related harms. Most patients presented in this survey were in moderate risk category who are amenable to behavioural change with provision of SBI. However, there is resistance to implementation of this intervention due to lack of knowledge, self-awareness and willingness to change. Nonetheless, patients are prepared to accept advice from clinicians and some formats of intervention. It is important to formulate a simple screening questionnaire and intervention strategy that are easy to administer to affect positive changes in patients with harmful drinking behaviours.

Preoperative hemostatic assessment: a new and simple bleeding questionnaire.

Current recommendations for the assessment of the risk of perioperative bleeding limit coagulation testing to patients with a personal and/or family history of bleeding. As no simple preoperative screening questionnaire is currently available, we assessed the performance of a novel screening questionnaire for its ability to detect bleeding disorders. A dichotomized, seven-point questionnaire named HEMSTOP (Hematoma, hEmorrhage,Menorrhagia, Surgery, Tooth extraction, Obstetrics, Parents) was applied to three groups of subjects:patients referred to hemostasis specialists for bleeding symptoms for whom any kind of perioperativehemostatic precautions were subsequently recommended (n=38); patients referred to hemostasisspecialists for whom precautions were not required (n=75); healthy volunteers (n=70). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of HEMSTOP scores and compared them with the discriminative performances of standard blood coagulation assays (prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time). Patients requiring perioperative hemostatic precautions had greater median [interquartile range] HEMSTOP scores (2 [2-3]) than patients not requiring precautions (1 [1-2]) and healthy controls (0 [0-0]); P < 0.001. A HEMSTOP score ≥ 2 had a specificity of 98.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 92.3 to 100] and a sensitivity of 89.5% (95% CI, 75.2 to 97.1). The 26.3% (95% CI, 13.4 to 43.1) sensitivity of the standard coagulation times was much lower. The HEMSTOP score discriminates patients at an elevated risk for bleeding with recommended perioperative precautions from those without such recommendations as well as from healthy participants. Further evaluation of the HEMSTOP score is required for a better evaluation of its definitive usefulness to predict the risk of perioperative bleeding.

A novel, short, and simple screening questionnaire can suggest presence of psoriatic arthritis in psoriasis patients in a dermatology clinic.

Delaying diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can lead to poor quality of life and disability. The purpose of this study is to identify simple questions for dermatologists to screen psoriasis patients for psoriatic arthritis. Data regarding psoriasis and arthritis were prospectively collected by a questionnaire from all psoriasis patients. Patients with joint-related symptoms were assessed by a rheumatologist for the presence of PsA. Retrospectively, the sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and posttest probabilities of various screening questions were calculated to identify the best combination of parameters. Of 517 patients seen in dermatology clinic, 117 (22.63%) were found to have PsA. Four screening questions ("Do you have a history of joint pain or swelling?" "Do you have stiffness in the morning?" "Have you had X-rays taken of your joints?" "Do you have PsA?") with psoriatic nail changes demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for predicting PsA. A cutoff of three out of these five parameters correctly classified patients with and without PsA with 86.9% sensitivity, 71.3% specificity, 53% positive predictive value (PPV), 93.6% negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87. Likelihood ratios for individual parameters varied between1.6 and 3.7, and with a combination of certain parameters, the posttest probability of PsA was 76%. This is a preliminary data on a potential screening questionnaire which can help dermatologists quickly screen for PsA. All patients not having evaluated by a rheumatologist could have led to underdiagnosis of PsA and potential misclassification. Psoriasis patients seen at a specialty clinic may introduce a referral bias.

Study protocol: Brief intervention for medication overuse headache - A double-blinded cluster randomised parallel controlled trial in primary care

BackgroundChronic headache (headache ≥ 15 days/month for at least 3 months) affects 2–5% of the general population. Medication overuse contributes to the problem. Medication-overuse headache (MOH) can be identified by using the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). A “brief intervention” scheme (BI) has previously been used for detoxification from drug and alcohol overuse in other settings. Short, unstructured, individualised simple information may also be enough to detoxify a large portion of those with MOH. We have adapted the structured (BI) scheme to be used for MOH in primary care.Methods/DesignA double-blinded cluster randomised parallel controlled trial (RCT) of BI vs. business as usual. Intervention will be performed in primary care by GPs trained in BI. Patients with MOH will be identified through a simple screening questionnaire sent to patients on the GPs lists. The BI method involves an approach for identifying patients with high likelihood of MOH using simple questions about headache frequency and the SDS score. Feedback is given to the individual patient on his/her score and consequences this might have regarding the individual risk of medication overuse contributing to their headache. Finally, advice is given regarding measures to be taken, how the patient should proceed and the possible gains for the patient. The participating patients complete a headache diary and receive a clinical interview and neurological examination by a GP experienced in headache diagnostics three months after the intervention. Primary outcomes are number of headache days and number of medication days per month at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include proportions with 25 and 50% improvement at 3 months and maintenance of improvement and quality of life after 12 months.DiscussionThere is a need for evidence-based and cost-effective strategies for treatment of MOH but so far no consensus has been reached regarding an optimal medication withdrawal method. To our knowledge this is the first RCT of structured non-pharmacological MOH treatment in primary care. Results may hold the potential of offering an instrument for treating MOH patients in the general population by GPs.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01314768

Abstract 196: Compounded Point-Scoring Of Dysphagia Risk Factors Predict Clinical Dysphagia In An Acute Care Hospital Setting

Compounded Point-Scoring Of Dysphagia Risk Factors Predict Clinical Dysphagia In An Acute Care Hospital Setting Introduction Dysphagia places patients at risk for malnutrition, dehydration, and pulmonary aspiration; reduces quality of life; and lengthens hospitalization. The published literature describes individual dysphagia risks factors (DRF) . We felt that in many patients, the risk would be given by the number and types of DRF. Further, each risk factor could have its own independent contribution to the dysphagia. Hypothesis Can the risk of dysphagia be identified with a simple screening questionnaire where the clinical DRF are numerically weighed-scored, and later compounded? Methods Individual DRF (n=21) were each weighed from 1 to 5. The decision on the assigned score was given by 3 individual experts, the values averaged. • A score of 0 means that no dysphagia risk factors were present. • A score 1-4 means that some DRF are present, but the risk probably low. It prompts the bedside nurse to administer standardized swallowing trials. (video available in vimeo.com/speechpathology). • A score ≥5 signifies high risk for aspiration. The patient is placed in full-NPO status, and the Speech Language Pathology (SLP) service is consulted for a bedside swallowing evaluation (BSE). Patients admitted to floors where stroke patients would be admitted more commonly were given the Swallowing Safety Screening (SSS) by the trained bedside nurse. The SSS has 2 components the 1) scoring, and 2) the administration of swallowing trials. Here, we report on the scoring component of the SSS. Results SSS was reviewed for 357 patients (n=357) who were referred to the SLP. Patients on SLP’s caseload were reviewed in a blinded, time-limited, non-randomized fashion. Data was collected for patients for whom a SSS had been completed, and a BSE had been triggered (n=133). Of patients in this subset (n=114) who scored ≥5 on the SSS, 70% were judged positive for the presence of dysphagia, 30% were negative. Further analysis of the data reveals that the mean SSS score for negative dysphagia diagnoses is &lt;6.1, and for positive dysphagia diagnoses is &gt;7.95. The confidence intervals (95%) are 1.29 and 1.4, respectively. Using z statistics, the probability of getting this separation of the data by chance is p =0.00014. Conclusions It is possible to identify dysphagia patients using a questionnaire where the DRF are given a numerical weight and then summated. There is a point where the score of the DRF adds such clinical weight that dysphagia is identified or predicted.

A longitudinal study of epilepsy in Kolkata, India

This study aimed to determine the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of epilepsy in the city of Kolkata, India. This is the first such longitudinal study in a heterogeneous urban Indian population. A two-stage door-to-door survey of a stratified random sample was undertaken within the municipal limits of Kolkata. Trained field workers detected and interviewed the cases using a simple screening questionnaire, and the detailed follow-up was done by neurologists. The survey was conducted annually for five consecutive years from March 2003 through February 2008. A total of 52,377 (52.74% men) individuals were screened. There were 309 prevalent and 66 incident cases of active epilepsy. The prevalence and average annual incidence rate (AAIR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), age-standardized to World Standard Population, were 572.8 (509.79-641.54) per 100,000 and 27.27 (21.03-34.80) per 100,000 per year, respectively. The age-specific incidence rates of epilepsy showed bimodal distribution. During the 5-year period, 20 cases of active epilepsy died. The average annual mortality rate (AAMR) was 7.63 (95% CI 4.45-11.26) per 100,000 population per year. Compared to the general population of Kolkata, the all-cause standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for persons with epilepsy was 2.58 overall (men 3.67; women 1.77). There was no significant difference between slum and nonslum dwellers in epidemiologic parameters. The AAIR of epilepsy is comparable to that observed in developed countries, but AAMR is higher. The all-cause SMR for epilepsy relative to the general population is, however, similar to that of developed nations.