We compared the performance of four rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for imported malaria, and particularly Plasmodium falciparum infection, using thick and thin blood smears as the gold standard. All the tests are designed to detect at least one protein specific to P. falciparum (Plasmodium histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) or Plasmodium LDH (PfLDH)) and one pan-Plasmodium protein (aldolase or Pl...

AIMS A new diagnostic strategy to improve the detection of pathogens in heart valves (HVs) from patients with infective endocarditis (IE) was evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS Three hundred and fifty seven HVs surgically removed from 326 patients with proven IE or suspicious intra-operative findings, examined by 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture were retrospectively analysed a...

AIM The aim of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Nocturnal Oximetry (NO) as a diagnostic screening tool for obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), compared with polysomnography (PSG) as the gold standard. METHODOLOGY 63 patients with clinical suspicion of OSAHS and exclusion of respiratory disease underwent PSG and NO. We then determined NO sensitivity...

AIM To evaluate the efficacy of quantitative fecal immunochemical test (FIT) as biomarker of disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS Between February 2013 and November 2014, a total of 82 FIT results, obtained in conjunction with colonoscopies, were retrospectivelyevaluated for 63 patients with UC. The efficacy of FIT for evaluation of disease activity was compared to colonoscopi...

urine dipstick is a useful and commonly used test because of its rapidity and low cost; however its diagnostic accuracy is debatable. this research were carried out to determine sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of nitrite (nit) and leukocyte esterase (le) testing in relation to urine culture. this research was conducted on 100 hospitalized patients with clini...

Background: Regarding the diagnostic errors of the classic criteria including serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), total protein concentration and the adapted Light et al’s criteria in distinguishing transudate versus exudates, we evaluated the ascitic fluid to serum bilirubin ratio as a new criteria in this regard. We also evaluated whether the combination of bilirubin ratio with each of the...

OBJECTIVES To assess the accuracy of preschool vision screening in a large, ethnically diverse, urban population in South Auckland, New Zealand. DESIGN Retrospective longitudinal study. METHODS B4 School Check vision screening records (n=5572) were compared with hospital eye department data for children referred from screening due to impaired acuity in one or both eyes who attended a referr...

Objectives: To define diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) at the Clinic Center (Hospital de Clínicas) and to compare it with data reported in international bibliography. Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken; 126 MRC examinations were done to 126 patients within the period December 2010-July 2013. The results were correlated with endoscopic retrograde chol...

BACKGROUND Müllerian anomalies are associated with infertility. Hysteroscopy as the gold standard for evaluating Müllerian anomalies is an invasive, expensive and risky procedure which requires enough experience. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) and hysterosalpingography (HSG) are less invasive procedures, but there is little known about the accuracy of these tests. The aim of this study was to ev...

The aim of the study was to assess diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of Fenyö-Lindberg and Teicher scores for distinguishing patients that need immediate surgical treatment from the others, in a female population from an urban setting. The study prospectively included 130 female patients admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain indicating acute appendicitis. The ...