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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

Testing the tests--an empirical evaluation of screening tests for the detection of cognitive impairment in aviators.

The FAA has expressed concern that flight safety could be compromised by undetected cognitive impairment in pilots due to conditions such as substance abuse, mental illness, and neuropsychological problems. Interest has been shown in the possibility of adding a brief "mini-mental exam," or a simple automated test-battery to the standard flight medical to screen for such conditions. The research reported here involved the empirical evaluation of two "mini-mental exams," two paper-and-pencil test batteries, and a prototype version of an automated screening battery. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were calculated for each sub-task in a discriminant study of 54 pilots and 62 individuals from a heterogeneous clinical population. Results suggest that the "mini-mental exams" are poor candidates for a screening test. The automated battery showed the best discrimination performance, in part because of the incorporation of dual-task tests of divided attention performance. These tests appear to be particularly sensitive to otherwise difficult-to-detect cognitive impairments of a mild or subtle nature. The use of an automated battery of tests as a screening instrument does appear to be feasible in principle, but the practical success of a screening program is heavily dependent upon the actual prevalence of cognitive impairment in the medical applicant population.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Screening tests for dementia: agreement between CST14 and ADS3 is incomplete (Cognitive Screening Test and Amsterdam Dementia Test)].

The agreement between two screening tests for the detection of dementia was tested by comparing a 14-item orientation questionnaire (Cognitive Screening Test or CST14) and the short version of the Amsterdam Dementia Screening Test (ADS3: Visual Memory, Orientation and Fluency. All 106 consecutive patients (71% female) of a psychogeriatric day care center were tested in two sessions. Their mean age was 77,7 (range 52-89). Taking the advised cutting-scores into account, we found consistent results for 74% of the patients (95%-confidence interval: 65%-82%): 60 patients were positive for dementia on both tests, and 18 were negative. For 28 patients the results were inconsistent, in that more patients scored in the impaired range for ADS3 than for CST14.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

[Clinical evaluation of whole blood histamine release test simultaneously testing multiple allergens--correlated with bronchial provocation test].

We compared the efficacy of the novel histamine release test (HRT), which allows the determination of many allergens at the same time using a small amount of whole blood, with other conventional allergen diagnostic tests. HRT and RAST were both performed along with bronchial provocation tests (BPT) on 44 bronchial asthma patients in whom the etiologic allergen could not be determined by either intracutaneous tests (ICT) or ophthalmic response tests (ORT). The HRT uses a microtiterplate on which glass fibers have 10 kinds of allergens affixed. The histamine release ability at 6 different concentrations of each kind of allergen was examined. The concordance of HRT with respect to BPT was the highest at 82% in comparison with RAST at 66%, ICT at 55% and ORT at 60%. With each of the allergens, HRT had the highest concordance with BPT. On the other hand, RAST, ICT and ORT showed different results depending on the allergens. The positive predictive value of HRT was the highest at 76% compared with RAST at 59%, ICT at 51% and ORT at 64%. From these results, we concluded that HRT is a more useful diagnostic method for the confirmation of a clinical allergy than other conventional diagnostic methods.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Do long tests yield a more accurate diagnosis of dementia than short tests? A comparison of 5 neuropsychological tests.

OBJECTIVE: To provide comparative evidence for a valid and practical measure of mental-status functioning that could be used in dementia clinics. DESIGN: Five mental-status neuropsychological tools for dementia screening were administered to patients in a memory disorder clinic. These included the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Dementia Rating Scale, the 6-item derivative of the Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test, a short Mental Status Questionnaire, and a composite tool we labeled the Ottawa Mental Status Examination, which assessed orientation, memory, attention, language, and visual-constructive functioning. The tools were compared using various criteria, including the statistical factors of sensitivity and reliability; effects of gender, native language, and language of testing; the utility of these tests for the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer-type and vascular dementia; and sensitivity to cognitive decline in the entire sample and among patients with severe dementia. RESULTS: All of the tests were highly intercorrelated, suggesting that they are interchangeable. CONCLUSION: The comparisons along the various criteria indicate that if the objective is to have a general index of dementia of the Alzheimer type, short tests are at least as good and sometimes better than the longer tests.

Aging↗

PubMed2001

HLA-antibody testing: the immune phagocytosis inhibition test is superior to the PRA-STAT and NIH lymphocytotoxic test with respect to specificity.

We compared the specificity and sensitivity of four different methods for the detection of antibodies specific for HLA antigens. The NIH version of the complement-dependent cytotoxic test (CDC) was used as the gold standard to which we compared two Fcgamma receptor (FcgammaR)-dependent immune phagocytosis inhibition tests (IPI) and one commercial enzyme-labelled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with soluble HLA class I-antigen preparations bound to the plate (PRA-STAT). Both IPI tests are based on the fact that HLA-antibodies specifically bind to antigens on the monocyte surface via their Fab portion, and in so doing block a neighbouring FcgammaR with their Fc region. This blockade prevents phagocytosis of IgG-coated red blood cells (RBCs), which can be measured either microscopically (IPIm) or photometrically (IPIp). The four assays were used in blind tests on 20 human alloantisera or monoclonal antibodies with known HLA-antigen reactivities. Additionally, two monoclonal antibodies and one human serum were titrated to elucidate the sensitivity of each test. After all tests were completed, the identities of the samples were disclosed. Both IPI methods detected and identified all clinically relevant HLA class I and class II specific antibodies. In contrast, the CDC was not able to detect noncytotoxic HLA-antibodies and HLA class II specific antibodies; however, it detected clinically insignificant IgM lymphocytotoxins. The PRA-STAT assay enabled identification of all cytotoxic and noncytotoxic IgG antibodies with specificity for HLA-class I antigens. With respect to sensitivity, the CDC and the IPI methods were superior to the PRA-STAT. These facts demonstrate the advantage of IPI methods in the detection of clinically relevant HLA-antibodies.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Orthopaedic Research Institute-Tennis Elbow Testing System: A modified chair pick-up test-interrater and intrarater reliability testing and validity for monitoring lateral epicondylosis.

Lateral epicondylosis is a degenerative overuse tendinopathy involving the extensor tendons of the forearm, predominantly the extensor carpi radialis brevis, in the region of the lateral epicondyle of the elbow. The Orthopaedic Research Institute-Tennis Elbow Testing System (ORI-TETS) is designed to record objective measurements of force generated with a simulated chair pick-up test. Interrater reliability of the ORI-TETS was excellent, with high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for right arm mean peak force of 0.93, left arm mean peak force of 0.84, right arm mean total force of 0.93, and left arm mean total force of 0.86. The ORI-TETS also demonstrated excellent intrarater reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.9 to 0.97. The relative technical error of the ORI-TETS for all measurements ranged from 5.8% to 7.2%. Testing patients with lateral epicondylosis (N = 16) and comparing analog pain scores with ORI-TETS testing demonstrated a strong negative relationship between the two parameters (Spearman rho, -0.87 to -1.0). Thus, the ORI-TETS is a reliable and reproducible testing system for the forearm extensors. The testing system is inexpensive, takes 5 minutes to perform, and demonstrates good predictive value for objectively assessing patients with lateral epicondylosis. This system could be used for routine clinical monitoring of patients with lateral epicondylosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of a manual hexadimethrine bromide-antiglobulin test with saline- and albumin-antiglobulin tests for pretransfusion testing.

A prospective double-blind study compared a manual hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) antiglobulin antibody detection test (P-AHG) and crossmatch with the albumin-antiglobulin antibody detection test and saline-antiglobulin crossmatch routinely used in our laboratory. A total of 10,084 pretransfusion blood samples from approximately 6000 patients were tested. The P-AHG method detected 153 of 157 alloantibodies for which antigen-negative, crossmatch-compatible blood is routinely provided. All four antibodies not detected were anti-K. The routine techniques detected 147 of the 157 alloantibodies. The P-AHG method detected only 36 percent of the alloantibodies for which crossmatch-compatible blood is routinely provided without determination of the antigen status of the donor unit's red cells (e.g., anti-Lea), whereas the routine method detected 91 percent of such antibodies. Eighty-six percent of the 189 alloantibodies detected by the Polybrene technique were found before the addition of antiglobulin. The manual Polybrene test is a rapid and sensitive technique; it may be used without an antiglobulin phase as a routine crossmatch procedure when accompanied by a sensitive antibody detection test that includes antiglobulin and an additional test to ensure ABO compatibility.

Blood Grouping and Crossmatching↗

PubMed1995

Evaluation of the Epsilometer test (E test) for testing the susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci to teicoplanin.

The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 118 clinical isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci to teicoplanin were determined by disc diffusion and the Epsilometer test (E test) and the results were compared with the MICs determined by the agar dilution method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). There was a poor correlation of r = 0.5 between the zone diameters of inhibition and agar dilution MICs and 10 and four of the 11 isolates for which the MICs were > or = 32 mg/L were misclassified as susceptible by the disc test after applying the interpretative criteria of the NCCLS and the Comité de l'Antibiogramme de la Société Française de Microbiologie (CASFM), respectively. The E test tended to result in MICs that were lower than those determined by agar dilution and only 66% of MIC were within +/- 1 log2 dilution of each other. Only one of 11 resistant strains was detected by the E test and, although there was no false resistance, six resistant strains were misclassified as susceptible after applying the criteria of the NCCLS as were four such isolates when the criteria of the CASFM were employed, probably as a result of using too light an inoculum. Disc diffusion is not a reliable means of determining the susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci but might be replaced by the E-test provided that discrepant results can be resolved by using a denser inoculum.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1999

[Antimicrobial resistance testing of H. pylori epsilometer test and disk diffusion test].

The resistance of Helicobacter pylori to antibiotics leaves great influence on treatment outcome. Routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing of H. pylori should be a simple, inexpensive and standardized method to be adopted. Agar and broth dilution techniques are difficult to perform and not practical. E-test and disk diffusion methods have the advantage of allowing the visualization of resistant subpopulations of bacteria within zones of inhibitions. We studied the susceptibility results of 246 H. pylori isolates against metronidazole and clarithromycin using E-test and disk diffusion test. The results of disk diffusion test were well correlated with these of E-test. Our results showed that disk method is cost effective and simple for the screening for antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori.

Clarithromycin↗

PubMed1978

[Comparative investigations of quantitative determination of cell-mediated immunity by skin test, macrophage migration inhibition test, and lymphocyte transformation test in guinea pigs (author's transl)].

Following an intradermal immunization of guinea pigs with bovine gamma globulin (BGG) and/or human serum albumin (HSA) emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant we studied the cell-mediated immune response and its manipulation by 6-mercaptopurine. Three accepted correlates of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) have been used for the estimation of the immune reaction: - Intracutaneous test (IT) - Macrophage migration inhibition test (MMIT) - Lymphocyte transformation test (LTT). Comparative studies of quantitative determinations of CMI showed a correlation of the results of the in vitro test systems (MMIT and LTT) with the state of delayed hypersensitivity of the experimental animals, estimated by the IT in vivo. The cell-mediated immune response against BGG was much higher than that against HSA. This could be shown by all three test systems. We detected an immunosuppressive influence of 6-mercaptopurine on the CMI of guinea pigs, due to the dose and the mode of application. Thereby the in vitro test systems detected quantitative differences and indicated already a partial success of the immunosuppressive therapy, whereas the IT allowed a qualitative estimation only.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Potency testing of pertussis immunoglobulins, relationship between neutralisation test and agglutination test.

Neutralisation tests were done with pertussis immunoglobulins and immunosera in which mice were immunised by intraperitoneal injection and challenged 4 hours later by intracerebral injection. The results of the neutralisation tests were compared with those of the agglutination tests done with the same preparations. For 2 pertussis immunoglobulins a correlation was found between the results of both tests, but generally no correlation exists between the agglutinating activity and the protective value of the preparations. There is a more than 100-fold difference in their relationship. Therefore a neutralisation test should be used for potency testing of pertussis immunoglobulins.

Agglutination Tests↗

PubMed2004

To test or not to test: do workplace drug testing programs discourage employee drug use?

Workplace drug testing programs are often met with intense criticism. Despite resistance among labor and consumer groups and a lack of rigorous empirical evidence regarding effectiveness, drug testing programs have remained popular with employers throughout the 1990s and into the current century. The present study analyzed nationally representative data on over 15,000 US households to determine whether various types of workplace drug testing programs influenced the probability of drug use by workers. The study estimated several empirical specifications using both univariate and bivariate probit techniques. The specification tests favored the bivariate probit model over the univariate probit model. Estimated marginal effects of drug testing on any drug use were negative, significant, and relatively large, indicating that drug testing programs are achieving one of the desired effects. The results were similar when any drug use was replaced with chronic drug use in the models. These results have important policy implications regarding the effectiveness and economic viability of workplace anti-drug programs.

History, 20th Century↗

PubMed2002

Evaluation of the in vitro pyrogen test system based on proinflammatory cytokine release from human monocytes: comparison with a human whole blood culture test system and with the rabbit pyrogen test.

The reliability of an in vitro pyrogen test system based on proinflammatory cytokine release from human monocytic cells was assessed by comparison with a test system based on a human whole blood culture as well as with the conventional rabbit pyrogen test. The human cells used as the pyrogen indicator cells were newly selected by subcloning of a human monocytic cell line, Mono-Mac-6. The selected cells, named MM6-CA8, responded to various pyrogens, including endotoxin, peptidoglycan (PG), Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 (SAC), and poly(I x C), with a high sensitivity and produced proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Among these cytokines, IL-6 was produced most sensitively in response to traces of the pyrogens and detected in the largest quantities in the culture medium. The cytokine-producing responses of MM6-CA8 cells correlated significantly with the responses of cultured human whole blood, which represents an ex vivo culture test system reproducing pyrogen-induced cytokine production in the human body. In terms of cytokine inducibility, the pyrogens were ranked in the order endotoxin > PG > poly (I. C) > SAC in both culture systems, a ranking which almost agreed with the ranking of their pyrogenicity as assessed by the rabbit pyrogen test. These results suggest that the in vitro responsiveness of MM6-CA8 cells to various pyrogens is highly relevant for human pyrogenic reactions. Therefore, the in vitro test system is useful and reliable for detecting the presence of materials that are pyrogenic for humans.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

A comparison of the trail making test, symbol digit modalities test, and the Hooper Visual Organization Test in an inpatient substance abuse population.

Ninety inpatients from a substance abuse treatment facility each completed the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the Trail Making Test and a novel, group-administered form of the Hooper Visual Organization Test. Patients exhibited varying degrees of impairment on all three instruments compared to available norms. The correlations among the tests were all statistically significant. The lowest inter-test correlations were obtained on the Hooper Visual Organization Test. The utility of global neuropsychological screening instruments with inpatient substance abusers' is discussed in light of these findings.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1977

Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function in pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma. Part I: Insulin test, lysine-vasopressin test, and rapid ACTH test.

For the assessment of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function in the presence of pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas, insulin tests, lysine-vasopressin tests, and rapid ACTH tests were performed and plasma cortisol was assayed. Rapid ACTH test and lysine-vasopressin test, which examine adrenal and mainly pituitary function respectively, showed normal function in ten among 14 cases. But insulin test, which examines the whole hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function, showed various levels of abnormality in eight among 14 cases. Frequent association of functional disturbances of this axis in these diseases was stressed.

Adenoma, Chromophobe↗

PubMed1975

[The methylene-blue-reduction-test (MR-test) and the micro-TTC-test for the determination of substances as sole source of carbon in the taxonomy of Pseudomonas species (author's transl)].

Two methods are described for the determination of substances as sole source of carbon for taxonomic tools: the Methylene-Blue-Reduction-Test and the Micro-TTC-Test. Both methods are giving results superior to the technique introduced by STANIER and co-workers and used hitherto in the taxonomic classification of Pseudomonas species. The evaluation of the comparative test results is based on the criterion that a substance is useful for taxonomic purpose provided that at least 90 per cent of the strains of a species are giving homogeneous results. - The MR-Test is superior to the Micro-TTC-Test concerning the reproducibility of the results. The Micro-TTC-Test is useful as a screening technique in the routine work and the primary investigation of numerous strains.

Acetamides↗

PubMed2003

Multicenter evaluation of the reproducibility of the proposed antifungal susceptibility testing method for fermentative yeasts of the Antifungal Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AFST-EUCAST).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility of a new standard for susceptibility testing of fermentative yeasts. This standard is based on the M27-A procedure of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), but incorporates several modifications, including spectrophotometric growth-dependent endpoint reading. METHODS: Nine laboratories participated in the study. Common material lots were used to test six Candida species (one each of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. lusitaniae), and two quality control strains (C. krusei ATCC6258 and C. parapsilosis ATCC22019). Triplicate testing on three separate days was performed in microtiter format with RPMI-2% glucose, pH 7.0. Flucytosine, fluconazole and itraconazole were tested. In total, 3888 MIC values were included in the analyses. Reproducibility was calculated by means of agreement (percentage of MICs within one two-fold dilution of the mode) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC, maximum value of 1). RESULTS: The average intra-laboratory agreements were 99% and 96% after 24 h and 48 h of incubation, respectively, with ICCs of 0.98 and 0.97 (P < 0.05). Two strains exhibiting a trailing effect showed intra-laboratory agreement of 92% and ICCs of < 0.91 at 48 h. The inter-laboratory agreement was 94% and 88% after 24 h and 48 h, respectively, with ICCs of 0.93 and 0.91 (P < 0.05). Lower values of agreement and ICCs were obtained for strains exhibiting trailing after 48 h of incubation. Itraconazole yielded the lowest values of reproducibility. CONCLUSION: The new procedure of EUCAST for antifungal susceptibility testing is a reproducible method within and between laboratories and offers several advantages over the NCCLS approved method.

Advisory Committees↗

PubMed1978

Allergy to pollen from different deciduous trees in Sweden. An investigation with skin tests, provocation tests and the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) in springtime hay fever patients.

92 adult patients with springtime allergy were investigated with skin tests, provocation tests and the RAST. Allergen extracts from 12 different deciduous trees were used. Positive reactions, often of high intensity, were most often found with birch, alder, bog-myrtle, beech and hazel allergens whereas oak, aspen, linden, elm, sallow, maple and poplar allergens more often gave negative or only weak positive test results. Cross sensitizations were found between botanically related as well as between less related species of the trees. Almost all patients with a clinically relevant tree pollen allergy had positive provocation tests with birch pollen. No patient had positive reactions to all the 12 allergens included in the study. 68% had positive provocation tests with the combination birch, alder and hazel. It is concluded that for diagnostic screening purposes it is sufficient to use birch pollen allergen. If the majority of relevant tree pollens are to be included in a diagnostic or therapeutic programme in Western Sweden it should contain birch, alder, hazel, beech and bog-myrtle allergens.

Adolescent↗