BACKGROUND Different formulas have been proposed to exclude restriction based on spirometry, however none of them have specifically tested the patients whose spirometry show both obstruction and a low forced vital capacity (FVC). STUDY OBJECTIVE The study was designed to create an algorithm that would better predict the absence of restriction in such patients. DESIGN Retrospective analysis ...

INTRODUCTION Although typhoid fever is confirmed by culture of Salmonella Typhi, Widal test is widely used in India but little information exists about its reliability. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the performance of Widal test in our hospital for diagnosis of typhoid fever in children. Hundred consecutive pediatric in-patients for whom, the Widal test was requested were grouped into fou...

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is often asymptomatic and, when acquired during pregnancy, may lead to connatal toxoplasmosis in the offspring. The newly introduced Vitros anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM assays, designed for the Vitros ECiQ immunodiagnostic system, a fully automated system based on chemiluminescence, were evaluated as a screening method for the serological detec...

The serum (1→3)-β-d-glucan assay has emerged as an important diagnostic test for invasive fungal disease. The utility of this assay in coccidioidomycosis has not been previously studied. Using a cutoff value of ≥80 pg/ml, we found the sensitivity (43.9%), specificity (91.1%), positive predictive value (81.8%), and negative predictive value (64.1%) to be similar to those of the assay in diagnosi...

After the adoption of the Global Initiative for Measles Elimination in 2001, Côte d'Ivoire has created monitoring case by case. Thus, the diagnosis of measles from the gingival fluid was implemented, through a pilot project. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of this diagnostic test. We conducted a cross-sectional survey, in four health districts of Abidjan, during a period from July ...

OBJECTIVES Typhoid remain an increasing problem in Third world countries like Pakistan. A reliable, easy and affordable rapid diagnostic test is a need for our clinicians, many of whom consider Typhidot to be promising. Typhidot has been used as the only tool to diagnose typhoid fever by general practitioners and consultants despite its low sensitivity and specificity causing misdiagnosis and t...

The Forced Choice Recognition (FCR) and the Critical Item Analysis (CIA) indices of the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II) have been identified by the CVLT-II test developers as potentially useful, brief screening indicators of effort in neuropsychological assessment. This retrospective study analyzes performance on these measures in three groups: (1) clinically referred individuals; ...

The incidence of Brucella canis infection in humans is unknown in Turkey. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of B. canis infection in human sera obtained from six regions in Turkey and comparatively evaluated the results obtained by agglutination-based techniques using standardized antigens made from B. canis. The patients (n = 1,746) presented with clinical symptoms that were si...

BACKGROUND Small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is known to be present in patients with cirrhosis, predisposing to various complications. AIM To determine the frequency of SIBO in cirrhotics and correlate with severity of cirrhosis. METHODS Small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth was determined by glucose-hydrogen breath test (GHBT). A basal breath-hydrogen >20 ppm or a rise by > or =...

OBJECTIVE Clinicians often overestimate the probability of a disease given a positive test result (positive predictive value; PPV) and the probability of no disease given a negative test result (negative predictive value; NPV). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether experiencing simulated patient cases (ie, an 'experience format') would promote more accurate PPV and NPV estimates ...