BACKGROUND In this pilot study we explored the suitability of the esophagus as a new measuring site for blood oxygen saturation (Spo(2)) in neonates. METHODS A new miniaturized esophageal pulse oximeter has been developed. Five patients (one child and four neonates) were studied. RESULTS Spo(2) values were obtained in the esophagus of all patients. A Bland and Altman plot of the difference ...

The objective of this study was to compare the usefulness of two methods to evaluate diet quality in young people in Southern Spain: a new Mediterranean Diet Pattern (MDP) and a modification of the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) for the Mediterranean area. The study population was 3190 schoolchildren aged 8-15 yrs. The questionnaires used were first validated (Bland-Altman plot and Wi...

In adult patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), estimates of body water (V), fat-free mass (FFM), and body fat (BF) can be obtained by using anthropometric formulas for estimating V. Estimates of V, FFM, and BF can also be obtained by using reference (standard) methods in which V is evaluated by a standard dilution method. To test whether the estimates obtained by the various methods agree, we a...

OBJECTIVES To assess the reliability and reproducibility of estimations of group mean 24-h urinary sodium (Na) excretion through timed spot urines compared to 24 h urinary Na output in two independent cross-sectional population samples including men and women and different ethnic groups. METHODS AND RESULTS Study 1 was carried out in Britain and included 915 untreated 40-59 yrs male and femal...

In order to better assess non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) consumption, measurement tools with greater utility are needed. The objective of this investigation is to determine the reproducibility and validity of a newly developed NNS food frequency questionnaire (NNS-FFQ) that measures five types of NNS (saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose and erythritol). Adult participants (n = ...

Visual assessments of mammographic breast density by radiologists are used in clinical practice; however, these assessments have shown weaker associations with breast cancer risk than area-based, quantitative methods. The purpose of this study is to present a statistical evaluation of a fully automated, area-based mammographic density measurement algorithm. Five radiologists estimated density i...

BACKGROUND Poststroke fatigue is a persistent and distressing symptom among stroke survivors. In this study, we investigated the reliability and validity of a vertical numerical rating scale supplemented with a faces rating scale (NRS-FRS) in measuring poststroke fatigue. METHODS The fatigue intensity of 106 individuals with stroke was measured twice, 1 week apart, using a vertical NRS-FRS to...

BACKGROUND Impedance cardiography (ICG) enables continuous, beat-by-beat, non-invasive, operator-independent, and inexpensive cardiac output (CO) monitoring. We compared CO values and variations obtained by ICG (Niccomo™, Medis) and oesophageal Doppler monitoring (ODM) (CardioQ™, Deltex Medical) in surgical patients. METHODS This prospective, observational, single-centre study included 32 sub...

BACKGROUND Accurate values are a must in medicine. An important parameter in determining the quality of a medical instrument is agreement with a gold standard. Various statistical methods have been used to test for agreement. Some of these methods have been shown to be inappropriate. This can result in misleading conclusions about the validity of an instrument. The Bland-Altman method is the mo...

AIMS This study tested the reliability of a new protocol for the rectangular coordinate method of quantifying perineal ultrasound. METHODS Representative scans of healthy primiparous females were quantified by positioning a pubic bone template, drawn onto an acetate sheet containing x-y axes, over scans, by aligning the x-axis with the pubic bone central axis. Values for x (D(x)) and y (D(y))...