Characteristics of Smell Identification Test in Patients With Parkinson Disease

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson disease (PD) is frequently associated with olfactory disorder at early stage, which is caused by deposition of Lewy bodies emerging from the olfactory bulb to higher olfactory centers. Early detection of olfactory disorder in the patients with PD may lead to the early diagnosis and treatment for this refractory disease. METHODS: Visual analog scale (VAS), Jet Stream Olfactometry, and Japanese smell identification test, Open Essence (OE), were carried out on 39 patients with PD. Thirty-one patients with postviral olfactory disorder (PVOD), which was caused by the olfactory mucosal dysfunction, were also enrolled in this study as control. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in detection thresholds (2.2 vs. 1.4, P=0.13), recognition thresholds (3.9 vs. 3.5, P=0.39) and OE (4.8 vs. 4.2, P=0.47) between PVOD and PD, while VAS scores of PVOD and PD were significantly different (2.0 and 6.2, P<0.01). In OE, significant differences were observed in the accuracy rates of menthol (68% vs. 44%, P=0.04) and Indian ink (42% vs. 15%, P=0.01) between PVOD and PD. Of particular interest, patients with PVOD tended to select “no detectable,” while patients with PD tended to select wrong alternative other than “no smell detected.” CONCLUSION: Discrepancy between VAS and OE, and high selected rates of wrong alternative other than “undetectable” in OE might be significant signs of olfactory dysfunction associated with PD.

A Study Of Clinical Profile Of Patients With New Onset Alcohol Related Seizures

Aim: To study the clinical profile of patients with new onset alcohol related seizures (ARS) Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, hospital based, observational study of 50 consecutive patients without a prior diagnosis of epilepsy presenting with seizures related to alcohol intake, to either emergency room or out–patient department, Department of General Medicine, SVS Medical College, Mahabubnagar, Telangana state, between October 2015 to September 2017. An informed and written consent was taken from the patient or immediate responsible attendant. Detailed history including the personal and family history was obtained from all patients. AUDIT scoring was done in all patients. Detailed examination findings were noted down. EEG and CT Scan Brain was done in all patients. MRI Brain was done when required. Results: A total of 50 patients with alcohol withdrawal seizures were included in the study of which 24(48%) were males and 26(32%) were females. Majority of the patients presented with seizures within 6 days following the last bout of alcohol (85%). All the 50(100%) patients presented with generalized tonic clonic seizures (GTCS) and 8(16%) progressed in to status epilepticus. Withdrawal symptoms were present in 24(48%) patients. Family history of seizures in the first degree relative was present in 4(8%) patients. CT evidence of cortical atrophy was present in 10 (20%) patients. EEG suggestive of seizures was present in 15 (30%) patients. Conclusion: There was a slight female preponderance of alcohol related seizures in this study. Majority presented within 6 days after the last bout of alcohol. All presented with GTCS. EEG and CT Scan Brain reports were normal in majority of the patients.

Application of UPLC/VION Mass Spectrometry in Quality Control of Recombinant Human Albumin / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the applicability of UPLC/MS method for the identification test of human serum albumin (HSA) products including plasma derived and recombinant HSA samples. METHODS: ACQUITY UPLC with Vion IMS QT of LC/MS system was used combined with on-line HSA sample desalting with ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column. The acquired multiplycharged mass spectrum was processed with MaxEnt1 automatic protein deconvolution software in UNIFI, which can transfer the raw mass spectrometry data to zero charge molecular mass or mass distribution of the intact protein. RESULTS: Intact protein mass analysis not only provided the accurate mass of HSA, but also provided an overall view of the heterogeneity of HSA and the relative amounts of various forms. From this study, a very specific mass signal [(66 437 ± 1), which is the theoretical average MW of human serum albumin ]was obtained from all the six HSA samples. And the characteristic spectra of different samples were also got. CONCLUSION: UPLC/MS method has very good specificity and high sensitivity and can distinguish HSA products made by different manufacturers and processes. The total analytical time is 10 min, which is ideal for the QC identification test of HSA products.

Association of High-Risk Drinking with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Elderly Korean Men: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2012 / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined the association between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults, but studies in the elderly are lacking. We examined the relationship between high-risk alcohol consumption and MetS in elderly Korean men using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire from the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Among 25,534 subjects, 2,807 were men >60 years of age; after exclusions, we included 2,088 men in the final analysis. We categorized the study participants into three groups according to AUDIT score: low risk (0–7), intermediate risk (8–14), and high risk (≥15 points). RESULTS: Among the study population, 17.0% of the men were high-risk drinkers, who had the highest mean waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglyceride (TG) levels. The overall prevalence of MetS was 41.9% in the elderly men, and it was significantly higher in the group with high (48.3%) versus low (31.9%) AUDIT scores. The prevalence of MetS components (elevated BP, high FPG, high TG, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) was associated with a high AUDIT score. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of the high-risk group for MetS, elevated BP, and high TG were 1.40 (1.03–1.89), 1.82 (1.28–2.60), and 1.77 (1.30–2.41) after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: AUDIT score was correlated with most MetS components in elderly Korean men.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among medical students in China and to provide correct way of application on the recommended scales.Methods An E-questionnaire was developed and sent to medical students in five different colleges.Students were all active volunteers to accept the testings.Cronbach's α and split-half reliability were calculated to evaluate the reliability of AUDIT while content,contract,discriminant and convergent validity were performed to measure the validity of the scales.Results The overall Cronbach's α of AUDIT was 0.782 and the split-half reliability was 0.711.Data showed that the domain Cronbach's α and split-half reliability were 0.796 and 0.794 for hazardous alcohol use,0.561 and 0.623 for dependence symptoms,and 0.647 and 0.640 for harmful alcohol use.Results also showed that the content validity index on the levels of items I-CVI)were from 0.83 to 1.00,the content validity index of scale level (S-CVI/UA) was 0.90,content validity index of average scale level (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.99 and the content validity ratios (CVR) were from 0.80 to 1.00.The simplified version of AUDIT supported a presupposed three-factor structure which could explain 61.175％ of the total variance revealed through exploratory factor analysis.AUDIT semed to have good convergent and discriminant validity,with the success rate of calibration experiment as 100％.Conclusion AUDIT showed good reliability and validity among medical students in China thus worth for promotion on its use.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among medical students in China and to provide correct way of application on the recommended scales.Methods An E-questionnaire was developed and sent to medical students in five different colleges.Students were all active volunteers to accept the testings.Cronbach's α and split-half reliability were calculated to evaluate the reliability of AUDIT while content,contract,discriminant and convergent validity were performed to measure the validity of the scales.Results The overall Cronbach's α of AUDIT was 0.782 and the split-half reliability was 0.711.Data showed that the domain Cronbach's α and split-half reliability were 0.796 and 0.794 for hazardous alcohol use,0.561 and 0.623 for dependence symptoms,and 0.647 and 0.640 for harmful alcohol use.Results also showed that the content validity index on the levels of items I-CVI)were from 0.83 to 1.00,the content validity index of scale level (S-CVI/UA) was 0.90,content validity index of average scale level (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.99 and the content validity ratios (CVR) were from 0.80 to 1.00.The simplified version of AUDIT supported a presupposed three-factor structure which could explain 61.175％ of the total variance revealed through exploratory factor analysis.AUDIT semed to have good convergent and discriminant validity,with the success rate of calibration experiment as 100％.Conclusion AUDIT showed good reliability and validity among medical students in China thus worth for promotion on its use.

Prevalence of alcohol use disorders among patients admitted to Baguio General Hospital & Medical Center

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among patients admitted in Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC).METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study design included randomly selected patients who were admitted in BGHMC, using a two-phase case identification strategy. The first phase was the review of charts wherein no AUD screening tool was used to determine how many patients were diagnosed with AUD. The second phase employed the use of a screening tool (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test or AUDIT) to identify AUDs. Diagnostic interview for AUD using the DSM-IV-TR was done by the researcher with the subjects found to be positive on the screening tool.RESULTS: The prevalence of AUD was 1% and 21% for phase I and phase II respectively. Diagnostic interview for AUD using the DSM-IV-TR showed that out of the 67 patients with AUD, 43 (64.2%) had Alcohol Dependence and 24 (35.8%) had Alcohol Abuse. The difference was statistically significant.CONCLUSION: The ratio of reported cases of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among the patients admitted in BGHMC was higher with the use of screening tool. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) as a screening tool was able to identify and detect patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). There was higher number of patients admitted in BGHMC with alcoholic dependence than with alcohol abuse.

The olfactory function evaluation of Parkinson disease and its influencing factors / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To explore the incidence of olfactory dysfunction in patients with Parkinson disease and the characteristic as well as its possible influencing factors. Methods The SS-12 was used to evaluate the olfactory function of 106 patients with Parkinson's disease and 110 healthy volunteers. The data was then compared between the two groups to investigate the correlation of olfactory function with age, gender, education, smoking, disease duration, Hohn-Yahr stage, UPDRSⅢscores, the dosage of levodopao and olfactory scores. Results Mean identification scores were significantly lower in patients(5.97 ± 2.27)than in controls(8.04 ± 2.00)(t=7.108, P=7.108). Parkinson's disease group did worse than the control group in identifying some odors including peppermint, bananas,liquorice,coffee,pineap?ple,rose and fish (P0.05). Conclusion Olfactory dysfunction occurs in Parkinson disease with an hign incidence rate. Olfactory function has nothing to do with disease duration, Hohn-Yahr stage, UPDRSⅢscores and the dosage of levodopa in Parkinson disease.

Application of smell identification test in Parkinson's disease in China / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To evaluate the olfactory functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with a smell identification test developed for the Chinese population and to examine possible factors contributing to PD patients' olfactory performance.Methods Fifty-five patients with idiopathic and nondementia PD and 55 demographically matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited and their olfactory identification tested using the Chinese Smell Identification Test developed by the Institute of Psychology at Chinese Academy of Sciences.Results Olfactory identification score was significantly lower (t =-6.827,P＜0.01) in the PD group (19.3 ±5.4) as compared with the HC group (26.5 ±5.7).Of all PD patients,63.6％ scored over 1 SD below the age norm.In particular,of those with Hoehn-Yahr ratings between 2 to 3,77.8％ scored over 1 SD below the age norm.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that a cut-off score of 22.5 on the Chinese Smell Identification Test distinguished between PD patients and HC with a sensitivity of 74.6％ and specificity of 70.9％.Within the PD group,age,education,Hoehn-Yahr rating and Mini-Mental State Examination score were not found to correlate with olfactory performance (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion PD patients in China show significant impairment of olfactory identification,which is effectively captured by the Chinese Smell Identification Test.

Assessing Olfactory Function in Healthy Korean Children Using the Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test and Butanol Threshold Test / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are no reported studies of olfactory function of Korean children, and the existing tests of olfactory function for Korean adults may not be suitable for very young children. This study assessed the applicability of the Butanol Threshold Test (BTT) and Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test (CC-SIT) to children. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 79 children were included in the study: they were between 6-12 years of age, and had visited University Hospital Health Care Center between January 2012 and December 2013. All children were administered the BTT and CC-SIT. RESULTS: Using BTT, 69.62% of the sample was classified as moderate hyposmia. On the other hand, when CC-SIT was used, 45.57% of the sample was classified as moderate and 43.04% as mild hyposmia. CC-SIT and BTT scores were not correlated. Although gender and age were not taken into account in the test results, the CC-SIT could measure age-specific olfactory development. CONCLUSION: Our study provides fundamental data on the clinical use of the CC-SIT and BTT in healthy Korean children.

Low specificity and sensitivity of smell identification testing for the diagnosis of Parkinsons disease / Baixa sensibilidade e especificidade do teste de identificacao de odores para o diagnostico da doenca de Parkinson

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine if the University of Pennsylvania’s Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) is an accurate diagnostic tool for olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Method: We included 138 non-demented PD subjects and 175 control subjects matched by gender. Smell identification was tested using UPSIT. Results: The mean number of UPSIT items correctly identified by controls was 27.52±5.88; the mean score for PD subjects was 19.66±6.08 (p=<0.001). UPSIT sensitivity was 79.7% with a specificity of 68.5% using a cut-off score of ≤25. The overall accuracy for the diagnosis of PD was of 75.3%. Conclusion: UPSIT accuracy and specificity were lower than what has been previously reported. Our data demonstrates that 17.5% of items of the UPSIT were not well identified by healthy controls. Further research of the identification of a truly cross-cultural test is warranted. .

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo é determinar se o University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) é uma ferramenta diagnóstica útil para a caracterizar disfunção olfativa na doença de Parkinson (DP). Método: Foram incluídos 138 indivíduos não dementes assuntos PD e 175 indivíduos controle pareados por sexo. Identificação cheiro foi testada usando UPSIT. Resultados: O número médio de itens UPSIT corretamente identificados pelos controles foi de 27,52±5,88; para sujeitos com DP foi de 19,66±6,08 (p=<0,001). A sensibilidade do UPSIT foi de 79,7%, com especificidade de 68,5%, utilizando um ponto de corte de ≤25. A exatidão global para o diagnóstico de DP foi de 75,3%. Conclusão: A precisão e a especificidade do UPSIT foram menores do que o que foi relatado anteriormente. Nossos dados demonstram que 17,5% dos itens da UPSIT não foram adequadamente identificados pelos controles saudáveis. São necessárias outras pesquisas para a identificação de um teste verdadeiramente cross-cultural nessa área. .

Olfactory Identification Test Using Familiar Distracters for Koreans

OBJECTIVES: Odors used in an odor identification test should be familiar to the subject, but there are some unfamiliar distracters in Korean version of Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II identification test. In this study, we used the results of the original version of KVSS II identification to modify the KVSS II identification test. METHODS: Eighty-three participants took an original version of KVSS II identification test and a visual analogue scale of subjective odor function. KVSS II identification which has 16 items was performed to choose one out of four odors items. And visual analogue scale was checked from 0 to 10 points of their subjective olfactory function. Two weeks later they took the modified version of KVSS II identification test. Hyposmic or anosmic patients were excluded. RESULTS: The mean score of the original version of KVSS II identification and modified version of KVSS II identification were 11.3 and 12.5, respectively (P<0.05). The KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function were positively correlated (r=0.247, P<0.05), as were the modified KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function (r=0.329, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: After modification of distracters, KVSS II identification test appears to be suited for assessment of olfactory function.

Association between Alcoholism Family History and Alcohol Screening Scores among Alcohol-dependent Patients

OBJECTIVE: Several tests can be used to screen for alcohol dependence (AD), a prevalent disease with a heterogeneous etiology. As some patients with AD have a strong familial tendency in this regard, a family history of alcohol use disorders can affect the outcomes of screening tests and diagnostic evaluations for AD. In this study, we evaluated associations between a family history of alcohol use disorders and evaluations using the Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE) test, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fourth edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria among patients with AD. METHODS: We recruited 487 male patients with AD from eight hospitals in Korea. Patients were evaluated using the CAGE, AUDIT, and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Patients with and without family histories were compared in terms of these assessment tools. RESULTS: Drinking initiation, uncontrollable drinking, and problem drinking occurred earlier and CAGE "annoyed" scores were higher in patients with a family history. Alcohol problems before the age of 25 years, frequency of spontaneous or compulsive alcohol-seeking behavior, and frequencies of psychological dependence and guilt related to alcohol use were also higher. CONCLUSION: Earlier drinking problems, higher scores on specific items of the CAGE, and AUDIT, and meeting more diagnostic criteria indicate more dependent, harmful drinking by patients with AD who have a family history of this condition. Clinicians should consider patients' family history of alcohol use disorders when screening for AD to identify the correct diagnosis and develop appropriate treatment plans for these patients.

Relations between alcoholism and osteoporosis or femoral head necrosis / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship of alcoholism between osteoporosis or femoral head necrosis.Methods In this case-control study,we selected 95 eligible patients with femoral head necrosis and another 67 cases of osteoporosis as case group,together with 342 patients of fractures from the Second Hospital affiliated to Shanxi Medical College,from February to December 2010,as the control group.Questionnaire was used to collect general information of the patients.Through comparative analysis,related factors of femoral head,osteoporosis were defined.18 patients with alcoholic femoral head necrosis,11 patients with alcoholic osteoporosis and 20 patients with fractures were selected from the above said three groups and going through the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as well as the Alcohol Use Disorders Scale (ADS).Using SPSS 13.0 conducted one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance),chi-square test,categorical logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.Results Results from logistic regression analysis showed that the adjusted odds ratio of those subjects who liked drinking alcohol had an incidence of femoral head necrosis or osteoporosis as 7.70 (95％ CI:1.84,32.30) and 8.44 (95％ CI:1.70,41.90),respectively.The risks of using hormone for treating femoral head necrosis or osteoporosis were 78.43 (95％CI:11.20,149.05) and 22.75 (95％CI:2.59,100.27) times than those without.Data from the AUDIT showed that:over-dose of alcohol drinking habit existed 100％ in the femoral head necrosis group while 54.45％ in the osteoporosis group,while 75 percent patients in the fractures group had normal alcohol drinking habit.Statistically significant differences appeared in the three groups (P＜0.01).Results from the ADS showed that there were statistically significant differences between the ADS scores of the three groups (F=3.68,P=0.03).Conclusion Alcohol intake did seem to be highly correlated with the incidence rates of femoral head necrosis or osteoporosis.Alcohol-related necrosis could be viewed as alcohol-dependent diseases while alcohol-related and osteoporosis could partially be recognized as alcohol-dependent disease.

Type Distribution of Unexpected Red Cell Antibodies in Patients with Malignancy / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Performance of antibody screening and identification tests before blood transfusion is important because the unexpected presence of red cell antibodies may cause hemolytic transfusion reactions. Many patients with malignancy undergo transfusion in order to overcome pancytopenia due to disease itself or chemotherapy. We investigated the type distribution of unexpected red cell antibodies in cancer patients and compared our results with those of other institutions. METHODS: From January 2008 to June 2011, 30,989 serum samples were screened using a LISS/Coombs card and ID-DiaCell I, II (DiaMed AG, Morat, Switzerland). Data-Cyte Plus Reagent Red Blood Cells (Medion Diagnostics, Dudingen, Switzerland) were used in performance of antibody identification tests. RESULTS: Out of 30,989 serum samples, 180 cases (0.58%) showed screening-positive results, and unexpected antibodies were identified in 72 cases. The type of unexpected antibody observed most often in cancer patients was a member of the Rh antibody group, anti-E in 17 cases (29.8%), followed by anti-Lea in five cases (8.8%) and anti-e in three cases (5.3%). While Rh group antibodies were observed in the colon cancer group, non-Rh group antibodies were observed in the rectal cancer group. And, in the genitourinary cancer group, Lewis group antibodies were more frequently detected than others. CONCLUSION: Findings from our study demonstrated a type distribution of unexpected red cell antibodies that was similar to those reported in previous studies. Compared with non-cancerous patients, no difference in type distribution of unexpected red cell antibodies was observed in cancer patients. Some antibodies were frequently observed in certain cancer groups. Further comprehensive research on unexpected antibodies based on location or histologic type of cancer is needed.

The Frequency of Unexpected Antibodies and Clinical Characteristics of Transfusion Candidates in a General Hospital During the Past 12 Years / 임상검사와정도관리

BACKGROUND: Unexpected antibodies are an important cause of hemolytic transfusion reaction. Thus, unexpected antibody screening and identification tests should be performed before every transfusion. We evaluated the frequency and distribution of unexpected antibodies and the clinical characteristics of patients in a Korean secondary general hospital with 745 beds in the past 12 years. METHODS: Between March 2000 and October 2011, unexpected antibody screening and an identification test using the Bio-Rad ID-System (Bio-Rad, USA) were performed in 72,600 patients. RESULTS: Of the 72,600 patients, 467 (0.64%) showed positive results for antibody screening tests. Among them, alloantibodies were identified in 324 (69.4%) patients and the types of alloantibodies were not identified in 64 (13.7%) patients. Autoantibodies were detected in 71 (15.2%) patients and panagglutination reactions were detected in 8 (1.7%). Of the 467 cases, 164 (35.1%) had a history of transfusion in our hospital. Among the 324 patients in whom alloantibodies were identified, anti-E (37.3%), anti-Lea (16.7%), anti-E and anti-c (14.8%), anti-C and anti-e (5.6%), anti-Leb (4.9%), anti-D (4.6%), anti-Jka (3.1%), anti-S (2.5%), and anti-M (1.9%) were detected. In 41 of the 324 (12.7%) of these patients, the types of antibodies were identified with the NaCl/Enzyme gel test but not with the LISS/Coombs gel test. CONCLUSIONS: Among the 467 patients, 130 (27.8%) in whom unexpected antibodies were detected, were scheduled for surgery. Because 101 of these 130 patients (77.7%) were unimmunized, unexpected antibody screening may be important in secondary hospitals with patients who do not have a detailed transfusion history. We identified Rh, P, and Lewis group antibodies more efficiently with a combination of the LISS/Coombs gel test and the NaCl/Enzyme gel test.

The Karamay community alcohol abuse and self-rated health status survey / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the health status and incidence of alcohol abuse of Xinjiang community residents.MethodsThrough multi-stage random sampling,1992 community residents ( 15-65years old) were assessed using socio-demographic information questionnaire,alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and self-rated health measurement scale-prior test(SHRMS).Single factor analysis and rank sum test were used to identify the incidence of alcohol abuse,the distribution of different populations,and the self-rated health status of abusers.ResultsTotally 298 cases of alcohol abuse were identified,and accordingly,the prevalence rate of alcohol abuse for general population was 15.1％ ( male 26.4％,female 4.8％ ).Key factors for alcohol abuse included male,middle-aged,well-educated,at work,administrative work,high income levels and large number of household.The differences among groups were statistical significant.Presumably the workplace population was at high risk of alcohol abuse.Alcohol abusers were significantly worse than general population in self-rated health status(P ＜ 0.01 ),especially in mental health and social health.ConclusionThe incidence of alcohol abuse is relatively high in Xinjiang rcgion,and the problem need more attention.Further survey and early intervention work for highrisk group are advised to achieve the purpose of prevention and control.

The Frequency of Unexpected Antibodies by Using Two Micro-column Agglutination Systems: DiaMed-ID and Ortho BioVue Systems / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Unexpected antibody screening and identification tests are very important for safe blood transfusion. The micro-column agglutination test (MCAT) is widely used due to its simplicity and efficiency for detecting alloantibodies. We analyzed the frequency of unexpected antibodies at three university hospital blood banks, which use two different MCAT systems. METHODS: From February 2002 to December 2009, a total of 295,876 unexpected antibody screening tests were performed at three university hospital blood banks. Two hospital blood banks (Anam and Ansan Hospitals) used the DiaMed-ID system (DiaMed Ag, Switzerland) and the other (Guro Hospital) used the Ortho BioVue system (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, USA) for antibody screening and identification tests. RESULTS: The rates of detecting unexpected antibodies on screening test based on the 'tests performed' and the 'persons tested' were 1.16% per test and 0.96% per person in Korea University Guro Hospital, 0.65% and 0.41% in Korea University Anam Hospital and 0.76% and 0.57% in Korea University Ansan hospital, respectively. There were significant differences in the frequencies based on the two different systems (P<0.001). Among the warm antibodies, Rh antibodies were more frequently detected by the DiaMed-ID system, and Lewis antibodies were most frequently detected by the Ortho BioVue System. CONCLUSION: We should carefully interpretate the frequency of unexpected antibodies in the Korean population because the frequencies of unexpected antibodies are different according to different employed micro-column agglutination systems.

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): an updated systematic review of psychometric properties

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is an instrument used to screen for alcohol-related problems. It has been increasingly used in many different countries in both the original English-language version and its many translated versions. Because of the need for screening instruments of faster administration, shortened versions of the AUDIT have also been developed. This study was aimed at expanding the work by Berner and colleagues (2007) in an attempt to answer some remaining questions as well as to identify and evaluate studies on the validation of modified versions of the AUDIT, which have not been previously analyzed. In order to do so, we identified indexed articles published between 2002 and 2009 related to the psychometric qualities of the AUDIT by matching the keywords: alcohol, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and AUDIT. We found 47 articles that evaluated the AUDIT in different countries and in diverse health and community contexts, involving adolescent, adult, and elderly samples. The studies confirmed the validity and efficiency of the AUDIT in the identification of harmful use, abuse, and dependence of alcohol, both in the original version and in modified ones. The possibility of using brief and efficient versions is of great value, since certain health contexts demand faster assessment. The results also showed that the reduced versions have satisfactory psychometric qualities, sometimes with sensitivity values higher than those of the AUDIT itself. The studies analyzed confirm the efficiency of the AUDIT both in its original, reduced, and language-adapted versions in different contexts and cultures.

The Frequency and Distribution of Unexpected Antibodies in Transfusion Candidates with the Use of the Ortho BioVue System: Recent Four Year Experience / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Unexpected antibodies are important factors for hemolytic transfusion reactions. In the past, the tube method was used for detecting unexpected antibodies. The column agglutination method has recently been widely used because of its simplicity and it has a higher rate of detecting warm antibodies. In this study, we describe the frequency and distribution of unexpected antibodies in transfusion candidates during the recent 4 years and the transfusion characteristics in the identified cases. METHODS: Antibody screening tests were carried out on 44,008 sera using the column agglutination method from January, 2005 to December, 2008. The antibodies were screened and identified by the Ortho BioVue System (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, USA). RESULTS: Of the 44,008 cases that underwent unexpected antibodies screening, 589 cases (1.3%) showed positive results. Unexpected antibodies were identified in 383 cases. The antibodies that were most frequently detected were anti-Lewis antibodies in 130 cases (34.0%). Among the warm antibodies, anti-Rh and anti-Kidd antibodies were detected in 67 cases (17.5%) and 2 cases (0.5%), respectively. Unidentified antibodies were detected in 133 cases (38.9%). Among the patients with unexpected antibodies, 137 cases (35.8%) had a history of previous transfusion and 244 cases (63.7%) had a history of previous transfusion or gestation. CONCLUSION: Anti-Lewis cold antibodies were the most frequently detected antibodies. Warm antibodies were also frequently detected, and these are clinically significant.