EPUAP classification system for pressure ulcers: European reliability study

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Methodological considerations concerning the development of oral dental erosion indexes: literature survey, validity and reliability

Within the context of preventing non-communicable diseases, the World Health Report (2002) and the WHO Global Oral Health Program (2003) put forward a new strategy of disease prevention and health promotion. Greater emphasis is placed on developing global policies in oral health promotion and oral disease prevention. The Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index does not meet new challenges in the field of oral health. Dental erosion seems to be a growing problem, and in some countries, an increase in erosion of teeth is associated with an increase in the consumption of beverages containing acids. Therefore, within a revision of the WHO Oral Health Surveys Basic Methods, new oral disease patterns, e.g. dental erosion, have to be taken into account. Within the last 20 years, many studies on dental erosion have been carried out and published. There has been a rapid growth in the number of indexes quantifying dental erosion process in different age groups. However, these indexes are not comparable. This article discusses quality criteria which an index intended for assessing tooth erosion should possess

A methodological framework to distinguish spectrum effects from spectrum biases and to assess diagnostic and screening test accuracy for patient populations: Application to the Papanicolaou cervical cancer smear test

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A spectrum effect was defined as differences in the sensitivity or specificity of a diagnostic test according to the patient's characteristics or disease features. A spectrum effect can lead to a spectrum bias when subgroup variations in sensitivity or specificity also affect the likelihood ratios and thus post-test probabilities. We propose and illustrate a methodological framework to distinguish spectrum effects from spectrum biases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected for 1781 women having had a cervical smear test and colposcopy followed by biopsy if abnormalities were detected (the reference standard). Logistic models were constructed to evaluate both the sensitivity and specificity, and the likelihood ratios, of the test and to identify factors independently affecting the test's characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For both tests, human papillomavirus test, study setting and age affected sensitivity or specificity of the smear test (spectrum effect), but only human papillomavirus test and study setting modified the likelihood ratios (spectrum bias) for clinical reading, whereas only human papillomavirus test and age modified the likelihood ratios (spectrum bias) for "optimized" interpretation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Fitting sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios simultaneously allows the identification of covariates that independently affect diagnostic or screening test results and distinguishes spectrum effect from spectrum bias. We recommend this approach for the development of new tests, and for reporting test accuracy for different patient populations.</p

Specific IgE and IgG4 immune responses to tetanus and diphtheria toxoid in atopic and nonatopic children during the first two years of life

BACKGROUND: In order to investigate, whether atopic and nonatopic children show differences in their specific IgE and IgG4 immune responses to tetanus (T) and diphtheria (D) antigens, we studied 538 children who had been followed from birth on and from whom records had been kept of all immunizations. METHODS: The prevalence of eczema and asthma was registered at regular intervals and the cumulative incidence of symptoms was determined at 24 months of age. Total serum IgE and specific IgE to a panel of nine allergens as well as T- and D-specific IgE and IgG4 were determined from the 24-months blood samples. RESULTS: Our results show that both atopic and nonatopic children are capable of mounting high levels of toxoid-specific IgE antibody responses. Children with cord blood IgE > 0.9 kU/1, serum IgE 10-100 kU/1 and > 100 kU/1 and at least one sensitization to an allergen at 24 months of age have significantly higher IgE responses to T and D (p <0.001). In contrast, specific IgG4 antibody concentrations to T and D were not significantly different in children with elevated total IgE levels at 24 months. No differences in subgroups of children with or without early symptoms of atopy were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that IgE responses to toxoids such as T and D are not limited to infants with clinical manifestations of atopy in the first 2 years of life but are related to immunological parameters of atop