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Personal view. Is it reality or an illusion that liquid-based cytology is better than conventional cervical smears?

Liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been heralded as the way forward for cervical screening, and as the answer to many of its problems. It is already used as a sole method of cell preparation in many private clinics in the UK. It is being used for colposcopy smears in many NHS clinics and is now being piloted for primary screening in three screening centres in England, as well as one in Scotland and one in Wales. LBC has been welcomed as a new technology because it deals with the problem of specimen adequacy at source, removing responsibility for slide preparation and fixation from the clinician or nurse. It provides uniformly well-fixed preparations that are free of inflammatory exudate and blood, and seem easier to screen than conventional smears. There are many articles in the world literature suggesting that LBC is more accurate than conventional screening, and it is thought likely to reduce the number of false negative tests. The main reasons for piloting LBC in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) lie in its potential for reducing screening times and for reducing the numbers of repeats for inadequate tests. LBC is expensive in terms of equipment, capital costs, maintenance, consumables, training, technical preparation time, transportation and disposal of liquid media. Its costs could be justified if they were offset by the money saved from reduced screening time and repeat tests, but only if its accuracy in terms of sensitivity and specificity were proven to be equal to or better than conventional cytology. Although that is generally held to be true by the public and medical profession alike, there is very little hard evidence to support it.

Female↗

Evaluation of the Natus ALGO 3 Newborn Hearing Screener.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the ALGO 3 Newborn Hearing Screener (Natus Medical Inc.) to the ALGO 2e Newborn Hearing Screener (Natus Medical Inc.). DESIGN: A prospective evaluation. SETTING: Three maternity hospitals. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: 199 newborns enrolled; 194 completed the study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were tested using either the ALGO 3 screener or the ALGO 2e screener first, and then screened with the alternate device. Initial screens resulting in REFER outcomes were repeated using the same device. An ALGO 2e PASS result was accepted as adequate evidence of hearing. Two sequential ALGO 2e REFER results required further diagnostic testing to determine hearing status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average screening times and referral rates of both hearing screeners. RESULTS: The ALGO 3 screener averaged 70.8 seconds (95% confidence interval = 34.5-107.1 seconds), or was 23% faster than the ALGO 2e screener (p = .0002). There were 48% fewer REFER results after initial screening with the ALGO 3 screener (5.7%) than with the ALGO 2e screener (10.9%) (p = .06). Faster screen times and fewer referrals were noted at each hospital. CONCLUSION: The ALGO 3 screener can increase caregiver efficiency by accurately screening hearing in newborns faster and with fewer REFER results than the ALGO 2e screener.

Audiometry, Evoked Response↗

Quality assurance by continuous recording of the microscope status.

OBJECTIVE: To assess continuous recording of the microscope status for quality assurance. STUDY DESIGN: Using a special microscope with coordinate registration and objective decoding, 8,653 cervical smears were read by five experienced cytotechnologists. Cytotechnologists could check their screening pattern on a TV monitor. Stage position and magnification were registered every 20 msec. RESULTS: The average screening time per case was 3.5 minutes followed by an approximately two-minute intercase interval. Daily workload profiles were generated to check compliance with workload regulations. Average screening time over a day and over a week was rather constant. CONCLUSION: Our experience demonstrates that continuous coordinate registration can be easily implemented as a method of quality assurance in routine cytology.

Female↗

Dose-area product measurements in a range of common orthopaedic procedures and their possible use in establishing local diagnostic reference levels.

There is a national drive towards establishing reference doses for radiological procedures with the aim of optimizing patient doses. Furthermore, the establishment of diagnostic reference level doses became a legal requirement for all hospitals on 13 May 2000. However, to date there are little published data on patient radiation doses from fluoroscopic procedures during orthopaedic surgery. Data relating to patient dose for 492 patients undergoing fluoroscopic examinations during a range of surgical orthopaedic procedures in 1997-1998 have been analysed. Median dose-area product (DAP) readings and interquartile ranges for a variety of common fluoroscopic orthopaedic procedures are presented. In general, the median DAP for procedures on limbs and extremities was quite low (0.04-1.62 Gy cm2), with screening times in the range 0.2-2.0 min, whilst for procedures involving the hips and spine the median DAP was considerably higher (0.4-10.2 Gy cm2), although overall screening times were similar, in the range 0.2-1.4 min. Approximate effective doses have been estimated. For procedures involving the limbs and extremities, the effective dose was generally less than 10 microSv, and for procedures involving the hips and spine it was found that the effective dose could rise to about 1 mSv. Collective doses for each procedure have been calculated to inform prioritization of procedures for local dose reduction strategies.

Arthrography↗

Influence of radiologist grade on fluoroscopic patient dose.

The effect of radiologist grade on patient dose during fluoroscopic barium studies was assessed over a one-year period in a large teaching hospital using area-kerma measurements made with a Diamentor M2 system. The number of studies investigated was 164 for barium swallows, 274 for barium meals and 1288 for barium enemas. The patient's AP thickness was assessed at the abdominal level from a formula combining the patient's estimated height and weight. For each study there was no significant change in AP thickness as a function of radiologist grade. For all barium studies there was a trend for both the screening time and the patient dose to fall to a minimum for the grades third-year registrar/first-year senior registrar. From this group to consultant level the dose and screening time rose.

Fluoroscopy↗

Hawthorne effect: shortening of fluoroscopy times during radiation measurement studies.

Screening times were recorded before (n = 92, 13 radiologists) and after (n = 75, 6 radiologists) commencing a protocol with dose-area product (DAP) measurements and filling of structured questionnaires. Fluoroscopy times were significantly (p = 0.0001) longer before starting these measurements (median 4.3, mean 5.2 min) than during them (median 3.2, mean 3.6 min), which indicates a Hawthorne effect. Fluoroscopy times did not increase during the DAP measurement period up to 21 barium enemas and a study period of up to 45 days per radiologist. Previous fluoroscopic radiation measurements based on action during an analysis period may be biased towards too short fluoroscopy times and too low doses. Radiation measurement, even if not scientifically indicated, seems a practical way of reducing doses.

Barium Sulfate↗

Influence of brood, vent screening, and time of year on honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) pollination and fruit quality of greenhouse tomatoes.

Greenhouse tomatoes, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller (Solanaceae), are autogamous, but facilitated pollination results in increased fruit size and set. Previous research examining honey bee pollination in greenhouse tomato crops established that fruit quality resulting from honey bee visitation is often comparable to bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and significantly better than in flowers that receive no facilitated pollination. However, management alternatives have not been studied to improve tomato fruit quality when honey bees are the only pollination option available for the high-value greenhouse industry. We investigated whether the quantity of brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) in a honey bee colony in the winter and screening on greenhouse vents in the summer would encourage honey bee foraging on tomato flowers. We also established the influence of time of year on the potential for honey bees to be effective pollinating agents. We constructed small honey bee colonies full of naive forager bees with either two frames of brood ("brood colonies") or two empty frames ("no-brood") and compared total fruit set and the number of tomato seeds resulting from fruit potentially visited by honey bees in each of these treatments to bagged flowers that received no facilitated pollination. There was no significant difference in the quality of fruit resulting from honey bees from "brood" and "no-brood" colonies. However, these fruits produced significantly more seeds than bagged flowers restricted from facilitated pollination. Honey bees from brood and no-brood colonies also resulted in 98% fruit set compared with 80% fruit set in bagged flowers that received no facilitated pollination. During the summer, the number of seeds per fruit did not differ significantly between unbagged flowers potentially visited by honey bees in screened greenhouses and unscreened greenhouses and bagged flowers that received no facilitated pollination. However, time of year did have a significant influence on the quality of fruit produced by honey bees compared with flowers that received no facilitated pollination, because no difference in seed number was observed between the treatments after mid-April. The results from this study demonstrate that the management of brood levels and vent screening cannot be used to improve the quality of fruit resulting from honey bee pollination and that honey bees can be a feasible greenhouse pollination alternative only during the winter.

Agriculture↗

Radiation use in the orthopaedic theatre: a prospective audit.

BACKGROUND: There is concern about the exposure of orthopaedic surgeons to radiation. The aim of this study was to monitor radiation use in theatre to improve practice and to attempt to quantify the radiation dose the orthopaedic surgeon may have received. METHODS: A 6-month prospective audit of all procedures performed in the orthopaedic theatre that used fluoroscopy or radiographs was undertaken An anthropomorphic phantom was used to measure scatter and direct-skin doses. Screening times were recorded in a subsequent 6-month post at a tertiary trauma centre. RESULTS: Fluoroscopy or radiographs were used in 378 procedures. Fluoroscopy was used in 260 procedures with a screening time of 124 min at an average of 0.48 min per procedure. Lead aprons were worn in 99% of cases and thyroid guards in 32%. All dosimeter badges were negative. The surgeon's hand was caught in the fluoroscopy beam in 15% of procedures. The phantom recordings ranged from 13 to 210 microGy for skin dose and 0.17-0.87 microGy for scatter dose. The calculated hand exposure was less than 5% of recommended levels. In the trauma post 210 min of screening was used potentially increasing the hand exposure to one-third of recommended limits. If a printer was used to record the image, 58% of intra-operative radiographs would have been avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Hand exposure to radiation is the limiting factor in orthopaedics. The extremity limit will only be exceeded if the hands are regularly caught in the beam. Dose-reduction gloves should be considered for high-risk procedures. A printer can reduce the need for intraoperative plain radiographs.

Body Burden↗

Radiation exposure during standard and complex interventional procedures.

Radiation doses given during standard and complex interventional procedures were compared. Screening times, dose-area products, and radiologists' forehead and finger doses were recorded during 28 standard percutaneous drainages and 10 complex drainages (eight combined procedures and two failed procedures). The median screening times (8.75 min) and finger doses (84 microGy) during standard drainages were less than those during complex drainages (20.5 min, p = 0.0005 and 163 microGy, p = 0.0003). Dose-area products and forehead doses were also lower, but not significantly. Previously published series on radiation measurements lack data on complex procedures. This may bias the results, since combined and failed interventions, which are common, are associated with higher radiation exposure than are standard procedures.

Humans↗

Reassessing the Association of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity with Ischemic Stroke: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

PURPOSE: Findings from previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies disagreed with the current scientific consensus regarding the role of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior in ischemic stroke (IS). We reassessed these associations with a focus on etiological subtypes of IS and the potential mediating roles of cardiometabolic traits and brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs). METHODS: We performed MR analyses using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies of sedentary behavior and PA ( n = 88,411 ~ 608,595), cardiometabolic traits ( n = 393,193 ~ 694,649), brain IDPs ( n = 33,224), and the latest IS data (62,100 cases and 1,234,808 controls). Inverse-variance weighted regression was used as the primary method, complemented by several sensitivity analyses. A two-step MR approach was employed to assess the mediating effects of cardiometabolic traits and brain IDPs. RESULTS: Genetic liability to leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and higher overall PA (OPA) were associated with reduced risks of IS and small vessel stroke (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P < 0.05). Suggestive associations were observed between longer leisure-screen time and higher IS risk and between higher OPA and lower cardioembolic stroke risk ( P < 0.05). The isotropic volume fraction in the anterior limb of the left internal capsule, as well as some cardiometabolic metrics, partially mediated these associations. There was no evidence for causal effects of overall MVPA, overall light-intensity PA, or overall sedentary duration on IS. CONCLUSIONS: Longer leisure screen time, less OPA, and not engaging in MVPA during leisure time were associated with higher risk of IS. The associations between PA and IS depended on different subtypes and were mediated by changes in anterior limb of the left internal capsule and cardiometabolic biomarkers.

Humans↗

Evaluation of thin-layer methods in urine cytology.

Conventional cytospin smears prepared from urinary tract specimens were compared with two new thin layer techniques, i.e. ThinPrep and AutoCyte PREP. Cellularity, cell preservation, background features, detection rate, screening time and ease of preparation were evaluated. Thin-layer techniques when applied to urine cytology were found to improve cell yield and cell preservation, and reduce background artefact. The reporting rate for abnormal urothelial cells was comparable to conventional cytospin smears, as was screening time. Laboratory staff found the methodologies to be practicable and easily incorporated into a large routine diagnostic service. We conclude that a one-slide thin-layer urine preparation is comparable to four cytospin slides in the detection of urothelial abnormalities, and that both ThinPrep and AutoCyte PREP have comparable features.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗

The value of digital personal dosemeters in angiography/interventional radiology: preliminary experience.

New interventional procedures tend to involve longer screening times than were hitherto used in radiology. A careful audit of technique and shielding facilities needs to be performed to ensure that patient and operator doses are optimised. This paper explores the use of digital dosemeters to evaluate operator dose. Equipment related parameters, e.g. screening time, dose-area-product (DAP) readings, were not found to be strongly correlated to operator dose. The real time display on the electronic dosemeter is a non-intrusive indicator of the efficacy of operator protection strategies.

Angiography↗

A comparison of cylindrical and Inoue balloon techniques for mitral valvotomy in patients in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the use of cylindrical balloons and the Inoue balloon for percutaneous mitral valvotomy in patients in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Comparison of the haemodynamic results, complications, and symptomatic outcome of balloon dilatation for mitral stenosis in consecutive patients treated by cylindrical balloons and a second consecutive series of patients treated by the Inoue balloon. SETTING: A tertiary cardiac referral centre in Scotland. PATIENTS: 70 patients (mean age 60.6 years) treated by the single or double cylindrical balloon technique and 70 patients (mean age 58.9 years) treated with the Inoue balloon method. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success in obtaining dilatation at the mitral orifice, procedure and screening times, increase in valve area, complications, and early symptomatic outcome. RESULTS: Dilatation of the mitral valve was obtained in 91% of patients when cylindrical balloons were used and in 99% of patients treated with the Inoue balloon. Use of the Inoue balloon gave significantly shorter procedure and screening times. Technical problems in obtaining and maintaining the position at the mitral orifice were more common with cylindrical balloons. Improvements in valve area and symptoms were not significantly different with use of the two types of balloon. The Inoue balloon avoided cardiac tamponade and the creation of larger atrial septal defects, but had a higher incidence of increase in mitral reflux. CONCLUSIONS: In these elderly patients, the Inoue balloon method was safer and faster for percutaneous mitral valvotomy, with a higher success rate for dilatation within the valve orifice. Haemodynamic and symptomatic improvement was similar with the two techniques.

Adolescent↗

A radiation perspective for treating loin pain in pregnancy by double-pigtail stents.

OBJECTIVE: To review the risks of placing double-pigtail stents during pregnancy in women presenting with loin pain associated with hydronephrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of women presenting with loin pain and hydronephrosis in pregnancy were treated with double-pigtail ureteric stents. A flexible cystoscope was used to identify the ureteric orifice and to pass a guidewire into the renal pelvis under fluoroscopic guidance. Stents were placed using the exchange technique over a stiff guidewire. Procedures were carried out under none or limited sedoanalgesia. Screening times and radiation dose were recorded. Data were collected for the average uterine radiation dose from a variety of radiological procedures. Previous publications were reviewed to determine the lethal, teratogenic and carcinogenic risk to the developing fetus from radiation exposure. RESULTS: Seven patients referred with symptomatic hydronephrosis during pregnancy were treated. The screening time during placement was minimized. The mean (range) uterus (i.e. fetal) dose was 0.40 (0.03-0.79) mGy. Most radiological procedures involve uterine doses of < 20 mGy, far below the 100 mGy that may result in fetal damage during periods of maximum radiosensitivity. CONCLUSION: Minimized radiation exposure from a range of uroradiological procedures in pregnant women has limited fetal risk. The use of fluoroscopy for symptomatic hydronephrosis during pregnancy allows ureteric stents to be placed safely and reliably. The average excess risk to the fetus from this procedure is 1 in 43 000 of cancer induction and 1 in 100 000 of heritable disease, i.e. very small when compared with the natural incidence. Pregnancy should not exclude the use of appropriate diagnostic radiation exposure and urologists may conduct appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, taking care to limit X-ray exposure without fear of risk to the developing fetus.

Adult↗

Modifying fluoroscopic views reduces operator radiation exposure during coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: This three-part study examined the feasibility of reducing operator radiation exposure during coronary angioplasty. BACKGROUND: As case loads and complexity increase, some cardiologists are receiving increasing radiation scatter doses. Techniques to reduce this are therefore becoming more important. METHODS: First, the determinants of the operator dose were assessed by measuring the differences in scatter dose with different camera views. The relative contribution of fluoroscopy as opposed to cine was then quantified. Finally, operators were provided with these data, and subsequent changes in technique were evaluated. RESULTS: Left anterior oblique views resulted in 2.6 to 6.1 times the operator dose of equivalently angled right anterior oblique views. Increasing steepness of the left anterior oblique view also resulted in a progressive increase in operator dose, with left anterior oblique 90 degrees causing eight times the dose of left anterior oblique 30 degrees and three times that of left anterior oblique 60 degrees. In the 45 coronary angioplasty cases prospectively analyzed, fluoroscopy was found to be a greater source of total radiation than cine by a 6.3:1 ratio (range 1.1 to 15.8). Once operators were made aware of the importance of left anterior oblique fluoroscopy, there was a marked reduction in its use. When this was not feasible, there was a reduction in the steepness of the angulation. Left anterior oblique fluoroscopy during angioplasty of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries was reduced from 40% of total screening time to approximately 5%, and left anterior oblique angulation for fluoroscopy during angioplasty of the right coronary artery decreased from 43.6 degrees (+/- 9.1 degrees) to 29.4 degrees (+/- 2.2 degrees). Success rates (90% vs. 89%) and screening times (19.5 vs. 20.7 min) remained unchanged in 200 coronary angioplasties performed after the study. Average operator radiation dose (measured by radiation badges worn under lead at waist level) was reduced from 32.6 to 14.3 microSv/operator per week despite a slight increase in case load. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroscopy is the major source of total radiation exposure during coronary angioplasty, with left anterior oblique views providing the highest dose. Modification of views is feasible and will result in significant reduction of operator radiation dose.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

An evaluation of 'rapid review' as a method of quality control of cervical smears using the AxioHOME microscope.

One method of quality control which has recently been recommended by professional bodies in the UK is the 'rapid review' method. This involves the microscopic 30 s review of all negative cervical smears with the intention of flagging potential missed abnormalities. Although it has been suggested that rapid review is better than 10% random rescreening of negative smears, the efficiency and efficacy of this method of quality control have not been thoroughly evaluated. We have used the AxioHOME system, which can record the area of a slide covered and the screening time, to investigate slide coverage during rapid review quality control, as performed by 15 cytoscreeners and MLSOs reviewing a test set of 22 slides each. The test set comprised 18 negative slides, three positive slides, and one unsatisfactory slide. We have recorded two distinct methods of rapid review in use amongst cytotechnologists, the step method and the whole slide method. The data show that rapid review takes longer on average than the recommended 30 s, the mean screening times being 76 s and 82 s for the step and whole slide methods, respectively. Abnormal smears were missed on three of 15 occasions by the step method (sensitivity 80%, positive predictive value 85%), and on seven of 30 occasions by the whole slide method (sensitivity 76.6%, positive predictive value 45%). However, the 95% confidence intervals were wide (57.7-90.7% for the step method, and 51.9-95.7% for the whole slide method). Analysis of scanning tracks and screening rates shows significant flaws in the methodology of rapid review. Abnormal cells were not identified, although dyskaryotic cells were included in the scanning track on nine occasions, seven using the whole slide method and two using the step method. On one occasion (using the step method) abnormal cells were not identified because they were not included in the scanning track. Further research is in progress to determine optimal methods of rapid review, and whether the rapid review technique is as effective as automated screening systems for quality assurance in cytology.

False Negative Reactions↗

[Epidemiological evaluation of the protective effect for dying of stomach cancer by screening programme for stomach cancer with applying a method of case-control study--a study of a efficient screening programme for stomach cancer].

An epidemiological evaluation of the protective effect for dying of stomach cancer by screening programme for stomach cancer was conducted with applying a method of case-control study. And also in order to carry out an efficient screening programme, the age groups who should be intensively recommended to receive screening and an optimal screening time interval since the last test were analyzed. 527 cases of men and 273 of women, dying of stomach cancer in the years 1981-1989 in the Awa region of Chiba prefecture, were identified from Chiba Cancer Registry. For each case, 3 controls were drawn at random from Awa living residents (about 162000 inhabitants at 1989 national census), with being matched strictly according to the district of residence, sex and born within 3 years of birth-year. For both cases and controls, the information about the screening history until the date of diagnosis of the case in each matched set was collected respectively from comparison with the screening certification. The results showed a relative risk of 0.417 (99% CI 0.284-0.612) in ever screened men compared with never screened and 0.480 (99% CI 0.280-0.823) in women. The significant reduction in risk was intensively observed on age groups 40-74 years among men and 50-69 years among women and the protective effect continued at most in the following three years since last screening. For an efficiency of screening programme, these age groups should be intensively recommended to receive screening and it is allowable that an optimal screening time interval since last negative test is at most 3 years for general attendance.

Adult↗