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Bacteriuria in the puerperium. Risk factors, screening procedures, and treatment programs.

Screening for bacteriuria by culture of voided midstream urine was done in 6803 puerperal women; significant growth was found in 8.1%. The urine was recollected by suprapubic aspiration and bacteriuria was confirmed in 52%, corresponding to an incidence of bladder bacteriuria of 3.7%. A history of past urinary tract infection, bacteriuria in pregnancy, operative delivery, epidural anesthesia, and bladder catheterization increased the risk of postpartum urinary tract infection. Only 21% of the women complained of dysuria; this symptom occurred significantly more often after operative delivery and in patients with previous urinary tract infection. Two hundred fifty-one women with bladder bacteriuria were subjected to different treatments by randomized allocation: 153 patients with amoxicillin-susceptible bacterias were selected for amoxicillin treatment of 1, 3, and 10 days' duration. The cure rates were 84%, 94%, and 98%, respectively; the single-dose therapy was significantly less effective than 10 days' treatment (p less than 0.05). Forty-six women with amoxicillin-resistant bacterial infections received cephalexin or nitrofurantoin therapy of 7 days' duration; the cure rate was 91%. Fifty-two women served as control subjects and received no treatment. Ten weeks later 27% still had persistent bacteriuria in their suprapubic aspiration control specimens. All therapeutic regimens except the single-dose method showed a cure rate that was significantly higher than the spontaneous cure rate (p less than 0.05). Multiparity seemed to be a predisposing factor for persistence of bacteriuria. The study indicates that puerperal patients with positive midstream urine specimens should not be automatically treated, but more thoroughly examined. In cases of confirmed bladder bacteriuria, treatment should be recommended; 3 days' therapy appears to be sufficient.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Quality assurance program for neonatal screening of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

The nationwide neonatal screening of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Taiwan was started on July 1, 1987. The effective collection rate has reached more than 96% of all newborns since 1993 and the overall incidence rate of G6PD deficiency was about 2%. This screening program has 3 screening centers and 18 referral hospitals, distributed around Taiwan including outlying islands. To assess the reliability of the confirmatory and screening tests, an external quality assurance (QA) program for G6PD assay was developed. For quantitative assay of G6PD activity, lyophilized quality control materials with different G6PD activities were prepared from red blood cells. For G6PD screening, quality control materials with different G6PD activities were prepared from whole blood and spotted onto the blood collecting filter paper. Periodically (1-2 months), the QC materials were sent to each of the referral hospitals and screening centers by speed post delivery. The external QA results were evaluated and compared to the median of all the reports and the reference values determined by our laboratory. Whenever an analytical system error was detected in any participating laboratory, troubleshooting was carried out either by contacting by phone or visiting in person. Twenty-one referral laboratories and 8 screening centers (3 in Taiwan, 2 in Mainland China, and one each in the Philippines, Thailand and Lebanon) participated in the QA program. Three to 5 QC specimens were sent to every participating referral laboratory for each quantitative survey. From January 1988 to June 2001, 104 QA surveys were carried out and 1,891 reports were received. Two hundred and thirty-nine (12.6%, 239/1,891) QA reports had abnormal results, attributed to clerical (13%, 31/239), experimental (17.2%, 41/239), and instrumental errors (46.4%, 111/239). Most of the experimental and instrumental errors were found in those laboratories that did not execute internal QA properly. For the screening QA program, 10 QC blood spots were delivered to every participating screening center for each survey. From March 1999 to June 2001, 15 screening surveys were performed with 111 reports received. One false negative (1/1,110) and 14 (14/1,110) false positive results were found in four (3.6%, 4/111) of the screening QA reports. The external quality assurance program proved useful for monitoring the performance of G6PD tests in referral hospitals and screening centers, and provided guidance for correcting analytical errors.

Blood Specimen Collection↗

Factors associated with participation in an occupational program for colorectal cancer screening.

This study reports factors associated with participation in a colorectal cancer screening program for a cohort of workers on a polypropylene manufacturing unit. The impetus for the screening program was the discovery of a colorectal cancer cluster among workers on this unit. The program included a life-style/risk factor questionnaire, fecal occult blood test, a 60-cm colonoscopy, and an air-contrast barium enema. Overall, 52.5% of the 406 men who were offered screening participated in the program. Of those screened, only 40% attended a briefing, but over 80% of those who attended a briefing came for screening. Factors associated with completion of screening are analyzed and discussed in the context of the literature on participation in colorectal screening programs. The implications for colorectal cancer screening of occupational groups believed to be at high risk are considered.

Adult↗

Evaluating screening and early intervention: a puzzle with many pieces.

This article reviews some conceptual and methodological issues which arise in evaluating screening programs, screening protocols, lead time, sensitivity and specificity, and base rates among others. Benefits of screening need to be separated from those of early intervention. Replicable protocols are needed to strengthen studies of the benefits of preadmission screening. Preadmission discharge planning is an idea which warrants consideration.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

Principles of cancer screening.

Screening for cancer is an important aspect of cancer prevention and treatment. The science of screening is based on epidemiologic principles that are central to understanding the potential risks and benefits of a screening program. Screening is best applied to those conditions that are relatively common and have an important impact on quality of life and for which acceptable tests and treatments are available and affordable.

Bias↗

Management of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents.

Many therapeutic approaches to managing suicidal behavior among youth have been used, including in-school education programs, screening programs, telephone hotlines, cognitive behavioral therapies, medication management, and inpatient milieux treatment programs. These interventions have been applied based on educational and therapeutic principles drawn from prior work with adolescents in varied scholastic and psychiatric settings. This article reviews: the assessment of risk factors among suicide attempters, emotional states, family, social isolation, interpersonal loss, substance and alcohol abuse, and treatment strategies.

Adolescent↗

How many deaths can be prevented by newborn screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is increasingly being included in newborn screening programs. Screening can prevent neonatal mortality in children with salt-wasting CAH, but the number of deaths prevented is not known. Cost-effectiveness analyses of screening require estimates of the probability of mortality in CAH. METHODS: We reviewed the literature to identify cohort studies of children with CAH ascertained clinically in the absence of screening. We abstracted the numbers of infant deaths attributable to CAH. We also addressed sex ratios among children with clinically detected CAH and the contribution of ascertainment bias to unbalanced ratios. RESULTS: The evidence suggests a probability of infant death due to adrenal crises in salt-wasting CAH of 4% or less in contemporary advanced economies without screening for CAH. This is lower than previous estimates, although the rate of mortality could be considerably higher in populations with limited clinical awareness or access. CONCLUSION: Although screening for CAH is conducted in a number of countries, further research is still needed to provide reliable estimates on the numbers of prevented deaths, along with evidence-based assessments of the potential benefits, harms, and costs of screening.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

Mammography screening for older women with and without cognitive impairment.

No upper age limit exists for Medicare benefits for mammography screening, but benefits for women older than age 75 remain unclear. From a clinical perspective, it would be useful to know if there is an upper age limit for women beyond which screening for breast cancer will not extend life. Using a decision-analysis model, the author examined the utility of screening using cohorts of women age 75 to 79, 80 to 84, and 85 and older, with and without cognitive impairment. The analysis evaluated different scenarios of the benefit of biennial screening versus no screening for women who had no prior screening and women who had participated in a regular screening program. Screening increased Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) at all ages. Marginal savings in life expectancy adjusted for quality of life for women with no prior screening ranged from 43.5 days for healthy 75 to 79-year-old women to 25.9 days for women older than age 85. Among cognitively impaired women who were never screened, savings ranged from 20 to 5.5 days for the three age cohorts. Biennial screening among women who had been screened continuously resulted in substantially smaller life expectancy savings, from 3.3 days for healthy individuals age 75 to 79 to less than 1 day for women older than age 85. Cost effectiveness analysis indicated the reduction in costs associated with managing recurrent disease gained by early diagnosis with mammography was greatest among the population with no prior screening. Although the increase in QALYs was consistently lower for cognitively impaired women than for their healthy counterparts, the presence of cognitive impairment did not alter the finding that screening increased QALYs.

Age Factors↗

Ethnic and gender patterns for the five congenital disorders in Texas from 1992 through 1998.

The Texas Department of Health's Newborn Screening Program screens for five inherited disorders: phenylketonuria (PKU), congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), congenital hypothyroidism (CH), galactosemia (GAL), and sickle cell disease (SCD). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of these disorders and to describe ethnic and gender patterns in their distribution. Cases were identified from blood specimens collected at birth from live births in Texas from 1992 through 1998. During this time, the overall prevalence of these disorders per 10,000 live births was 0.70 for PKU, 0.21 for GAL, 4.18 for CH, 1.03 for CAH, and 3.92 for SCD. Ethnic and gender disparities were observed among PKU, CH, CAH, and SCD prevalence. Results suggest that unidentified mutations and environmental factors may exist that contribute to these patterns. This warrants further investigation to determine possible modifiable risk factors for populations with higher prevalence.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

Economic considerations in breast cancer screening of older women.

The incidence of breast cancer increases with age, tending to result in more favorable cost-effectiveness outcomes with more advanced age of the screened population. On the other hand, the decreased remaining life expectancy of older women can be expected to reduce the cost effectiveness of screening. To assess these competing factors, the cost effectiveness of a long-term breast cancer screening program was evaluated using a computerized simulation model. The cost per life year saved decreased when the 65-69 year age group was added to a program screening women aged 50-64. For older age groups, however, cost effectiveness became relatively less favorable. The cost per life year saved of screening the 80-84 year age group was 55% higher than for the 65-69 group.

Aged↗

Teaching early breast cancer detection strategies.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer occurring among women. Currently, breast cancer can be detected early and treated effectively if all asymptomatic women participate in the screening program. Screening strategies include a mammogram, medical examination of the breast, and breast self-examination. This article describes the nurse's role in promoting and decreasing barriers to these strategies for early detection of breast cancer.

Adult↗

[Evaluation of cancer screening from the epidemiologic point of view].

In Japan four kinds of cancer screening programs, namely screening programs for stomach cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer, have been conducted under the Health and Medical Law for the Aged People. Now, however, it is demonstrated that cancer screening is not always effective in reducing cancer mortality. Therefore, new cancer screening programs, including colo-rectal cancer screening, should be evaluated by a well-designed study, like randomized controlled trial, before implementation as a public health policy.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia: pattern of use and health care system costs.

BACKGROUND: The use of mammography for screening asymptomatic women has increased dramatically in the past decade. This report describes the changes that have occurred in the use of bilateral mammography in British Columbia since the provincial breast cancer screening program began in 1988. METHODS: Using province-wide databases from both the breast cancer screening program and the provincial health insurance plan in BC, the authors determined the number and costs of bilateral mammography services for women aged 40 years or older between Apr. 1, 1986, and Mar. 31, 1997. Unilateral mammography was excluded because it is used for investigating symptomatic disease and screening abnormalities, and for follow-up of women who have undergone mastectomy for cancer. RESULTS: As the provincial breast cancer screening program expanded from 1 site in 1988 to 23 in 1997, it provided an increasing proportion of the bilateral mammographic examinations carried out each year in BC. In fiscal year 1996/97, 65% of bilateral mammographic examinations were performed through the screening program. The cost per examination within the screening program dropped as volume increased. Thirty percent more bilateral mammography examinations were done in 1996/97 than in 1991/92, but health care system expenditures for these services increased by only 4% during the same period. In calendar year 1996, 21% of new breast cancers were diagnosed as a result of a screening program visit. INTERPRETATION: Substantial increases in health care expenditures have been avoided by shifting bilateral mammography services to the provincial screening program, which has a lower cost per screening visit.

Adult↗

Incidence and mortality from breast cancer in the Mama Program for Breast Screening in Finland, 1973-1986.

BACKGROUND: A cohort of women enrolled in the Mama breast self-examination-(BSE) containing breast screening program in Finland from 1973 through 1975 (with BSE used for screening and mammography for diagnosis) was studied. METHODS: Twenty-eight thousand seven hundred eighty-five women who returned calendars recording their practice of BSE over a 2-year period have been followed by linkage with the records of the Finnish Cancer Registry through 1986. The incidence of and mortality from breast cancer was compared with that expected in the Finnish population based on a model incorporating Finnish national data for breast cancer incidence and case fatality. RESULTS: Breast cancer incidence was higher than expected (a rate ratio of 1.19 over all ages). The stage distribution of cases was not different from that expected from Finnish cancer registry data for 1980, but the breast cancer mortality was lower than expected (a rate ratio of 0.75). The latter difference occurred mainly in Years 3-6 of the follow-up period. The effect seemed similar in women under and over the age of 50 years. The cohort was of higher educational status than the Finnish population, and the mortality from all causes was lower than the general Finnish population, an effect seen in previous studies of compliers with breast screening. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in mortality from breast cancer in the study cohort is consistent with an effect of the BSE-containing Mama program, though selection bias, inherent in any observational study of screening, provided an alternative explanation for the findings.

Adult↗

Prognosis, treatment, and recurrence of breast cancer for women attending or not attending the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia.

Breast cancer screening programs have been initiated in many countries in the past decade. To determine the impact of the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia (SMPBC), disease and treatment outcomes for women with breast cancer diagnosed in BC between 1989 and 1996 were compared on the basis of attendance at the SMPBC. An SMPBC attender was a women diagnosed with breast cancer within three years of an SMPBC screen, regardless whether the cancer was detected as a result of that screen. Of the 13,636 women aged 40-89 years diagnosed with breast cancer in BC during the study period, 2,647 (19.4%) were SMPBC attenders. 73.5% of SMPBC attenders (N = 1,946) and 74.2% of non-attenders (N = 8,149) were referred to the BC Cancer Agency and had pathology, staging, treatment, and outcome information available. SMPBC attenders compared with non-attenders were more likely to have in situ disease alone, and those with invasive cancers had smaller tumors which were less likely to have grade III histology and less likely to have spread to axillary lymph nodes (all P < 0.001). SMPBC attenders were more likely to be treated with breast conservation and less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or tamoxifen (P < 0.001). Log-rank tests showed local (P = 0.017), distant (P < 0.001), and overall (P < 0.001) disease-free survival were better for SMPBC attenders. These favorable surrogate endpoints suggest that the benefits of breast screening as demonstrated by randomized trials can be translated into community practice by an organized breast screening program.

Adult↗

Development of a community breast screening promotion program using baseline data.

The process of developing a comprehensive community-based breast screening program for the Breast Screening Program Project is presented in this article. Behavior change theories were used to develop a program effects model which served as the conceptual foundation for a comprehensive breast screening program. This program would enlist professional and lay resources to promote breast screening through public and physician education and through improved access to mammography. Baseline survey data were used to focus program components on educational needs of women ages 40 and older for participating in regular mammography, clinical breast exam, and breast self-exam. The program effects model was also used as an evaluation framework to specify the intermediate changes that will be accomplished to reach a hypothesized 15% increase in screening participation between a study area receiving the program and two comparison areas. Results of this study will be of immediate value to other communities planning breast screening promotion programs.

Adult↗

The use of focus groups to design an internet-based program for chlamydia screening with self-administered vaginal swabs: what women want.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the opinions, concerns and perceptions of sexually active women to guide the development of an internet-based chlamydia outreach and screening program using self-administered vaginal swabs as a first step to prevention. METHODS: Seven focus groups were conducted by trained facilitators. Questions were designed to initially open the discussion and elicit the members' own perceptions. Secondary, more probing questions were asked later to confirm participants' responses and elicit truthful answers. The main discussion topics were women's ideas about internet recruitment for chlamydia screening, preferred genital sample type, self-sampling at home using vaginal swabs and using the mail to return specimens. Participants were 42 women, aged 14-49 years. Structured discussions were facilitated using open-ended questions about access to chlamydia testing via the internet. Data were collected and reviewed for common themes and emphasis. RESULTS: All women actively participated in the discussions, providing valuable information. The concepts of self-sampling and the overall project were viewed positively, along with draft advertisements, questionnaires and self-sampling instructions; some modifications were suggested. Common themes included offering free kits available within their community or by direct mail, as well as pre-addressed, stamped mailers for returning the kit to the laboratory for testing. Commonly perceived obstacles and potential risks included: maintenance of confidentiality; situations of embarrassment; and ensuring simplicity of packaging. Women indicated confidence in their ability to collect vaginal specimens and willingness to call for their test results. CONCLUSIONS: Focus-group surveys were a useful tool and provided valuable feedback to inform the design of a specialised website to educate and facilitate access to chlamydia screening through home sampling.

Adolescent↗

Quality assurance and cancer detection rates in a provincial screening mammography program. Work in progress.

In 1990, a provincial screening program was inaugurated in Alberta, a Canadian province of 2.4 million people. The goal of the program is to decrease the number of deaths from breast cancer by 30% in women aged 50-69 years. In the first 18 months of program operations, efforts were concentrated on high levels of quality assurance in all areas of program activities. In particular, the abnormality referral rates, cancer detection rates, and size and stage of mammographically detected cancers were evaluated. Of the 9,553 women seen, 8,524 were between the ages of 50 and 69 years. Reported abnormality rates were initially more than 16%, but were brought down steadily to less than 5%. Cancer detection rates increased with age, ranging from 1.9 cancers detected per 1,000 women aged 40-49 years to 14.1 cancers per 1,000 women aged 70 years and older. Forty-one of the 61 cancers detected (67%) were less than 1.5 cm in diameter. Forty-three of the 52 cancers (83%) in which the nodal status was known were node negative. At the conclusion of the first 18 months of operation, interpretation parameters were within the target zones expected for a population-based screening program.

Adult↗