Rapid point of care test for detecting urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in nonpregnant women and men at reproductive age.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis (C trachomatis) is one of the most frequent sexually transmitted infections and a source of deleterious effects on the reproductive health of men and women. Because this infection is likely asymptomatic and is associated with subfertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pain, its presence needs to be confirmed. Technologies available for the diagnosis of C trachomatis infection can be classified into tests performed in a laboratory and rapid tests at the point of care (POC tests). Laboratory-based tests include culture, nucleic acid amplification tests, enzyme immunoassays (EIA), direct fluorescent antibody, nucleic acid hybridization, and transformation tests. Rapid tests include solid-phase EIA and solid-phase optical immunoassay. POC tests can be performed within 30 minutes without the need for expensive or sophisticated equipment. The principal advantage of this technology is the immediate presentation of results with the subsequent possibility to start the treatment of infected patients immediately. OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of rapid point-of-care (POC) testing for detecting urogenital C trachomatis infection in nonpregnant women and men of reproductive age, as verified with nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) as the reference standard. SEARCH METHODS: In November 2019 we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS. We also searched Web of Science, two trials registries and an abstract database. We screened reference lists of included studies for additional references. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included diagnostic accuracy studies of symptomatic or asymptomatic nonpregnant women and men reproductive age. Included trials should have prospectively enrolled participants without previous diagnostic testing, co-infections or complications and consecutively or through random sampling at primary or secondary care facilities. Only studies reporting that all participants received the index test and the reference standard and presenting 2 x 2 data were eligible for inclusion. We excluded diagnostic case-control studies. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts for relevance. Two review authors independently, and in duplicate, assessed eligibility, extracted data, and carried out quality assessment. We resolved differences through consensus or by involving a third review author. We assessed studies for methodological quality using QUADAS-2 and used meta-analysis to combine the results of studies using the bivariate approach to estimate the expected sensitivity and specificity values. We assessed the quality of the evidence using GRADE criteria and explored sources of heterogeneity. MAIN RESULTS: We included a total of 19 studies, with 13,676 participants, that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of POC tests for C trachomatis infection in nonpregnant women and men of reproductive age, as verified with NAATs as the reference standard. Rapid tests were provided by the distributors in nine studies. Seven studies recruited a predominantly high risk or symptomatic population; the studies were conducted in America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania, with a median prevalence of 10% (range 8% to 28%); nine different brands were assessed. The mean sensitivity for rapid tests for detecting urogenital infection was 0.48 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39 to 0.58; low-quality evidence) with a mean specificity of 0.98 (95% CI 0.97 to 0.99; moderate-quality evidence). We explored sources of heterogeneity by looking into differences in diagnostic accuracy according to the specimen (endocervical versus urine or vaginal), symptoms among participants (symptomatic versus asymptomatic), and setting (low/middle-income versus high-income countries). Likelihood ratio tests were not significantly different in terms of sensitivity or specificity by specimen (P = 0.27) or setting (P = 0.28); for this reason, these covariates do not appear to explain the observed variability. Included studies did not provide enough information to assess the 'presence of symptoms' covariate. We downgraded the quality of evidence because of some limitations in applicability and heterogeneity. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this systematic review, the POC test based on antigen detection has suboptimal sensitivity but good specificity. Performance of this test translates, on average, to a 52% chance of mistakenly indicating absence of infection and a 2% chance of mistakenly pointing to the presence of this condition. Because of its deleterious consequences for reproductive health, and considering the current availability of safe and effective interventions to treat C trachomatis infection, the POC screening strategy should not be based on a rapid diagnostic test for antigen detection. Research in this topic should focus on different technologies.

Appendectomy in Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis of a 6-Year Cohort Study Using Administrative Claims Data.

INTRODUCTION: While there is evidence of obstetric and neonatal outcomes from non-obstetric surgery during pregnancy, surgery during the third trimester of gestation has not been evaluated as a prognostic factor for those outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine whether appendectomies during the third trimester are associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, in comparison with appendectomies during the first two trimesters, based on national administrative data in Colombia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using administrative health records. It included all women who had live births and who underwent an appendectomy during any stage of pregnancy, between the years 2011 and 2016, and who belonged to Colombia's contributory health system. The main outcome was preterm birth. Birth weight and 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores were also measured, as well as outcomes used to identify neonatal near-miss cases. Propensity score matching was used in order to balance baseline characteristics (age, weeks of gestation, obstetric comorbidity index, and region and year the procedure was performed). Relative risks were estimated with Poisson regressions. RESULTS: This study included a total of 2507 women in Colombia's contributory health system who underwent an appendectomy during pregnancy. Appendectomy was performed on 885 women (35.30%) in their first trimester, 1205 women (48.07%) in their second trimester, and 417 women (16.63%) in their third trimester. For the entire population, the preterm birth rate was 11.85 per 100 appendectomies. With the matched sample, this study found that women in their third trimester had a 1.65 greater risk of preterm birth [95% CI, 1.118-2.423], a 3.43 greater risk of birth at gestational ages < 33 weeks [95% CI, 1.363 to 8.625], 2.083 greater risk of weight under 1750 g [95% CI, 1.056-4.109], and a mean difference of - 0.247 [95% CI, - .382 to - .112] in the 1-min Apgar score and - .168a [95% CI, - .276 to - .060] in the 5-min Apgar. No differences were found in birth weight or Apgar scores < 7. CONCLUSIONS: In Colombia's contributory health system, women who undergo appendectomies in their third trimester have a greater risk of preterm birth, birth weight under 1750 g, birth at gestational ages less than 33 weeks, and decreased 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores.

Antibiotics for treating urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in men and non-pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: The genital infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally. The infection is mainly asymptomatic in women, thus it can produce infertility and chronic pelvic pain. In men infection is mainly symptomatic, but can evolve to prostatitis. Clinical practice guidelines for CT urogenital infections do not give any specific recommendation about which antibiotic use as first option OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of antibiotic treatment for CT genital infection in men and non-pregnant women. SEARCH METHODS: The Cochrane Sexually Transmitted Infections' (STI) Information Specialist developed the electronic searches in electronic databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS), and trials registers. We searched studies published from inception to June 2018. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included parallel, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of men, and sexually-active, non-pregnant women with CT infection (urethritis or uterine cervicitis or asymptomatic), diagnosed by cell culture for CT, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) or antigen-based detection methods, who had been treated with any of the antibiotic regimens recommended by any of the updated to 2013 CT Guidelines. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four review authors screened evidence according to selection criteria and independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Two authors developed the 'Summary of findings' tables. We used a fixed-effect meta-analysis model for combining data where it was reasonable to assume that studies were estimating the same underlying treatment effect. We estimated the pooled risk ratio in order to establish the effects of the comparisons. Our primary outcomes were microbiological failure and adverse events, and our secondary outcomes were clinical failure, antimicrobial resistance and reinfection. MAIN RESULTS: We selected 14 studies ( 2715 participants: 2147 (79.08%) men and 568 (20.92%) women). The studies were conducted mainly at STD clinics. Sample sizes ranged from 71 to 606 participants; follow-up was 29.7 days on average.For the comparison: azithromycin single dose versus doxycycline once or twice daily for 7 days, in men treated for CT, the risk of microbiological failure was higher in the azithromycin group (RR 2.45, 95% CI 1.36 to 4.41; participants = 821; studies = 9; moderate-quality evidence), but regarding clinical failure, the results showed that the effect is uncertain (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.43 to 2,05; I² = 55%; participants = 525; studies = 3; low-quality evidence). Regarding adverse events (AE) in men there could be little or no difference between the antibiotics (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.02; participants = 1424; studies = 6; low-quality evidence). About women treated for CT, the effect on microbiological failure was uncertain (RR = 1.71, 95% CI 0.48 to 6.16; participants = 338; studies = 5; very low-quality evidence). There were no studies assessing clinical failure or adverse events in women, however, we found that azithromycin probably has fewer adverse events in both genders (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.98; I² = 0%; participants = 2261; studies = 9; moderate-quality evidence).For the second comparison: doxycycline compared to ofloxacin, for men treated for CT the effect on microbiological failure was uncertain (RR 8.53, 95% CI 0.43 to 167.38, I² not applicable; participants = 80; studies = 2; very low-quality evidence), as also it was on clinical failure (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.28 to 2.62; participants = 36; studies = 1; very low-quality evidence). The effect of in women on clinical failure was uncertain (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.39 to 2.25; I² = 39%; participants = 127; studies = 2; very low-quality evidence).Regarding adverse events, the effect in both men and women was uncertain (RR 1.02 95% CI 0.66 to 1.55; participants = 339 studies = 3; very low-quality evidence). The effect on microbiological failure in women and in men and women together, the effect on microbiological failure was not estimable. The most frequently AE reported were not serious and of gastrointestinal origin.No studies assessed antimicrobial resistance or reinfection in either comparison. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: In men, regimens with azithromycin are probably less effective than doxycycline for microbiological failure, however, there might be little or no difference for clinical failure. For women, we are uncertain whether azithromycin compared to doxycycline increases the risk of microbiological failure. Azithromycin probably slightly reduces adverse events compared to doxycycline in men and women together but may have little difference in men alone. We are uncertain whether doxycycline compared to ofloxacin reduces microbiological failure in men or women alone, or men and women together, nor if it reduces clinical failure or adverse events in men or women.Based on the fact that women suffer mainly asymptomatic infections, and in order to test the effectiveness and safety of the current recommendations (azithromycin, doxycycline and ofloxacin), for CT infection, especially in low and middle income countries, future RCTs should be designed and conducted to include a large enough sample size of women, and with low risk of bias. It is also important that future RCTs include adherence, CT resistance to antibiotic regimens, and risk of reinfection as outcomes to be measured. In addition, it is important to conduct a network meta-analysis in order to evaluate all those studies that included in one arm only the current antibiotic treatments for CT infection that are recommended by the updated clinical practice guidelines.

Incorporating equity issues into the development of Colombian clinical practice guidelines: suggestions for the GRADE approach / Incorporando equidad al desarrollo de guías de práctica clínica colombianas: sugerencias para la aproximación Grade

Objective To propose how to incorporate equity issues, using the GRADE approach, into the development and implementation of Colombian Clinical Practice Guidelines. Methodology This proposal was developed in four phases: 1. Included a literature review and the development of a preliminary proposal about how to include equity issues; 2. Involved an informal discussion to reach a consensus on improving the first proposal; 3. Was a survey of the researchers' acceptance levels of the proposal, and; 4. A final informal consensus was formed to adjust the proposal. Results A proposal on how to incorporate equity issues into the GRADE approach was developed. It places particular emphasis on the recognition of disadvantaged populations in the development and implementation of the suggested guideline. PROGRESS-Plus is recommended for use in exploring the various categories of disadvantaged people. The proposal suggests that evidence be rated differentially by giving higher ratings to studies that consider equity issues than those that do not. The proposal also suggests the inclusion of indicators to monitor the impacts of the implementation of CPGs on disadvantaged people. Conclusions A consideration of equity in the development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines and quality assessments of the evidence would achieve more in the participation of potential actors in the process and reflect on the effectiveness of the proposed interventions across all social groups.(AU)

Objetivo Proponer como incorporar temas de equidad en el desarrollo e implementación de guías de práctica clínica colombianas utilizando el acercamiento GRADE. Metodología Esta propuesta fue desarrollada en 4 fases: una revisión de la literatura y desarrollo de una propuesta preliminar sobre como incluir temas de equidad, discusión informal para alcanzar un consenso que mejore la primera propuesta; una encuesta sobre los niveles de aceptación de la propuesta y un consenso informal final para ajustar la propuesta. Resultados Se desarrolló una propuesta sobre como incorporar temas de equidad con el acercamiento GRADE. Este hace énfasis especial en el reconocimiento de poblaciones en desventaja al desarrollar e implementar guías. Se recomienda el uso del PROGRESS-Plus para explorar las categorías de las poblaciones en desventaja. La propuesta sugiere una calificación diferencial de la evidencia dando clasificaciones superiores a los estudios que toman en consideración temas de equidad. Esta propuesta también sugiere la inclusión de indicadores que monitoreen el impacto de la implementación de GPC en personas en desventaja. Conclusiones Tener en cuenta la equidad en el desarrollo e implementación de las guías de práctica clínica y la evaluación de calidad de la evidencia puede lograr más en la participación de los actores potenciales del proceso y reflejarse en la efectividad de las intervenciones propuestas en todos los grupos sociales.(AU)

Incorporating equity issues into the development of Colombian clinical practice guidelines: suggestions for the GRADE approach.

Objective To propose how to incorporate equity issues, using the GRADE approach, into the development and implementation of Colombian Clinical Practice Guidelines. Methodology This proposal was developed in four phases: 1. Included a literature review and the development of a preliminary proposal about how to include equity issues; 2. Involved an informal discussion to reach a consensus on improving the first proposal; 3. Was a survey of the researchers' acceptance levels of the proposal, and; 4. A final informal consensus was formed to adjust the proposal. Results A proposal on how to incorporate equity issues into the GRADE approach was developed. It places particular emphasis on the recognition of disadvantaged populations in the development and implementation of the suggested guideline. PROGRESS-Plus is recommended for use in exploring the various categories of disadvantaged people. The proposal suggests that evidence be rated differentially by giving higher ratings to studies that consider equity issues than those that do not. The proposal also suggests the inclusion of indicators to monitor the impacts of the implementation of CPGs on disadvantaged people. Conclusions A consideration of equity in the development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines and quality assessments of the evidence would achieve more in the participation of potential actors in the process and reflect on the effectiveness of the proposed interventions across all social groups.

Home-based versus clinic-based specimen collection in the management of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) are the most frequent causes of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Management strategies that reduce losses in the clinical pathway from infection to cure might improve STI control and reduce complications resulting from lack of, or inadequate, treatment. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of home-based specimen collection as part of the management strategy for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections compared with clinic-based specimen collection in sexually-active people. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Sexually Transmitted Infections Group Specialized Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and LILACS on 27 May 2015, together with the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry (ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov. We also handsearched conference proceedings, contacted trial authors and reviewed the reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of home-based compared with clinic-based specimen collection in the management of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We contacted study authors for additional information. We resolved any disagreements through consensus. We used standard methodological procedures recommended by Cochrane. The primary outcome was index case management, defined as the number of participants tested, diagnosed and treated, if test positive. MAIN RESULTS: Ten trials involving 10,479 participants were included. There was inconclusive evidence of an effect on the proportion of participants with index case management (defined as individuals tested, diagnosed and treated for CT or NG, or both) in the group with home-based (45/778, 5.8%) compared with clinic-based (51/788, 6.5%) specimen collection (risk ratio (RR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 1.29; 3 trials, I² = 0%, 1566 participants, moderate quality). Harms of home-based specimen collection were not evaluated in any trial. All 10 trials compared the proportions of individuals tested. The results for the proportion of participants completing testing had high heterogeneity (I² = 100%) and were not pooled. We could not combine data from individual studies looking at the number of participants tested because the proportions varied widely across the studies, ranging from 30% to 96% in home group and 6% to 97% in clinic group (low-quality evidence). The number of participants with positive test was lower in the home-based specimen collection group (240/2074, 11.6%) compared with the clinic-based group (179/967, 18.5%) (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.86; 9 trials, I² = 0%, 3041 participants, moderate quality). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Home-based specimen collection could result in similar levels of index case management for CT or NG infection when compared with clinic-based specimen collection. Increases in the proportion of individuals tested as a result of home-based, compared with clinic-based, specimen collection are offset by a lower proportion of positive results. The harms of home-based specimen collection compared with clinic-based specimen collection have not been evaluated. Future RCTs to assess the effectiveness of home-based specimen collection should be designed to measure biological outcomes of STI case management, such as proportion of participants with negative tests for the relevant STI at follow-up.

Imiquimod for anogenital warts in non-immunocompromised adults.

BACKGROUND: 30% of people with anogenital warts (AGW) have spontaneous regression of lesions but there is no way to determine whether a specific lesion will remain. There are a wide range of options available for treating people with AGW and selection is based on clinician's experience, patient preferences and adverse effects. The imiquimod could offer the advantages of patient-applied therapies without incurring the limitations of provider-administered treatments. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of imiquimod for the treatment of AGW in non-immunocompromised adults. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Sexually Transmitted Infections Group Specialized Register (15 April 2014), CENTRAL (1991 to 15 April 2014), MEDLINE (1946 to 15 April 2014), EMBASE (1947 to 15 April 2014), LILACS (1982 to 15 April 2014), World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry (ICTRP) (15 April 2014), ClinicalTrials.gov (15 April 2014), Web of Science (2001 to 15 April 2014) and OpenGrey (15 April 2014). We also handsearched conference proceedings, contacted trial authors and reviewed the reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the use of imiquimod with placebo, any other patient-applied or any other provider-administered treatment (excluding interferon and 5-fluorouracil which are assessed in other Cochrane Reviews) for the treatment of AGW in non-immunocompromised adults. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We resolved any disagreements through consensus. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: Ten RCTs (1734 participants) met our inclusion criteria of which six were funded by industry. We judged the risk of bias of the included trials as high. Six trials (1294 participants) compared the use of imiquimod versus placebo. There was very low quality evidence that imiquimod was superior to placebo in achieving complete and partial regression (RR 4.03, 95% CI 2.03 to 7.99; RR 2.56, 95% CI 2.05 to 3.20, respectively). When compared with placebo, the effects of imiquimod on recurrence (RR 2.76, 95% CI 0.70 to 10.91), appearance of new warts (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.00) and frequency of systemic adverse reactions (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.32) were imprecise. We downgraded the quality of evidence to low or very low. There was low quality evidence that imiquimod led to more local adverse reactions (RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.53) and pain (RR 11.84, 95% CI 3.36 to 41.63).Two trials (105 participants) compared the use of imiquimod versus any other patient-applied treatment (podophyllotoxin and podophyllin). The estimated effects of imiquimod on complete regression (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.48), partial regression (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.47), recurrence (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.11) or the presence of local adverse reactions (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.54) were imprecise (very low quality evidence). There was low quality evidence that systemic adverse reactions were less frequent with imiquimod (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.98).Finally, two trials (335 participants) compared imiquimod with any other provider-administered treatment (ablative methods and cryotherapy). There was very low quality of evidence that imiquimod did not have a lower frequency of complete regression (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.28). There was very low quality evidence that imiquimod led to a lower rate of recurrence during six-month follow-up (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.56) but this did not translate in to a lower recurrence from six to 12 months (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.25; very low quality evidence). There was very low quality evidence that imiquimod was associated with less pain (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.54) and fewer local reactions (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.74). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The benefits and harms of imiquimod compared with placebo should be regarded with caution due to the risk of bias, imprecision and inconsistency for many of the outcomes we assessed in this Cochrane Review. The evidence for many of the outcomes that show imiquimod and patient-applied treatment (podophyllotoxin or podophyllin) confer similar benefits but fewer systematic reactions with the Imiquimod, is of low or very low quality. The quality of evidence for the outcomes assessing imiquimod and other provider-administered treatment were of very low quality.

Laparoscopy for the management of acute lower abdominal pain in women of childbearing age.

BACKGROUND: This is an updated version of the original review, published in Issue 1, 2011, of The Cochrane Library. Acute lower abdominal pain is common, and making a diagnosis is particularly challenging in premenopausal women, as ovulation and menstruation symptoms overlap with symptoms of appendicitis, early pregnancy complications and pelvic infection. A management strategy involving early laparoscopy could potentially provide a more accurate diagnosis, earlier treatment and reduced risk of complications. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and harms of laparoscopy for the management of acute lower abdominal pain in women of childbearing age. SEARCH METHODS: The Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group (MDSG) Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, LILACS and CINAHL were searched (October 2013). The International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) was also searched. No new studies were included in this updated version. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that included women of childbearing age who presented with acute lower abdominal pain, non-specific lower abdominal pain or suspected appendicitis were included. Trials were included if they evaluated laparoscopy with open appendicectomy, or laparoscopy with a wait and see strategy. Study selection was carried out by two review authors independently. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data from studies that met the inclusion criteria were independently extracted by two review authors and the risk of bias assessed. We used standard methodological procedures as expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. A summary of findings table was prepared using GRADE criteria. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 12 studies including 1020 participants were incorporated into the review. These studies had low to moderate risk of bias, mainly because allocation concealment or methods of sequence generation were not adequately reported. In addition, it was not clear whether follow-up was similar for the treatment groups. The index test was incorporated as a reference standard in the laparoscopy group, and differential verification or partial verification bias may have occurred in most RCTs. Overall the quality of the evidence was low to moderate for most outcomes, as per the GRADE approach.Laparoscopy was compared with open appendicectomy in eight RCTs. Laparoscopy was associated with an increased rate of specific diagnoses (seven RCTs, 561 participants; odds ratio (OR) 4.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.50 to 6.71; I(2) = 18%), but no evidence was found of reduced rates for any adverse events (eight RCTs, 623 participants; OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.10; I(2) = 0%). A meta-analysis of seven studies found a significant difference favouring the laparoscopic procedure in the rate of removal of normal appendix (seven RCTs, 475 participants; OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.24; I(2) = 0%).Laparoscopic diagnosis versus a 'wait and see' strategy was investigated in four RCTs. A significant difference favoured laparoscopy in terms of rate of specific diagnoses (four RCTs, 395 participants; OR 6.07, 95% CI 1.85 to 29.88; I(2) = 79%), but no evidence suggested a difference in rates of adverse events (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.67; I(2) = 0%).   AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found that laparoscopy in women with acute lower abdominal pain, non-specific lower abdominal pain or suspected appendicitis led to a higher rate of specific diagnoses being made and a lower rate of removal of normal appendices compared with open appendicectomy only. Hospital stays were shorter. No evidence showed an increase in adverse events when any of these strategies were used.

Prostaglandins for management of retained placenta.

BACKGROUND: Retained placenta affects 0.5% to 3% of women following delivery and it is a major cause of maternal death due to postpartum haemorrhage. Usually, retained placenta has been managed by manual removal or curettage under anaesthesia, which may be associated with haemorrhage, infection and uterine perforation. Medical management to facilitate the delivery of the retained placenta could be a safe alternative avoiding surgical intervention. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of prostaglandins for the management of retained placenta. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (1 December 2013), LILACS (1982 to 1 December 2013), SciELO (1998 to 1 December 2013), Web of Science (2001 to 1 December 2013), openSIGLE (1997 to 1 December 2013), World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (1 December 2013) and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (1 December 2013). We also contacted authors of included studies and reviewed the reference lists of retrieved studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled clinical trials comparing the use of prostaglandins (or prostaglandin analogues) with placebo, expectant management, tocolytic drugs, any other prostaglandins or surgical interventions for the management of retained placenta after vaginal delivery of singleton live infants of 20 or more weeks of gestation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and assessed trial quality. Two review authors independently extracted data. Data were checked for accuracy. Any disagreements were resolved through consensus or consultation with a third review author when required. Authors of the included studies were contacted for additional information. MAIN RESULTS: We included three trials, involving 244 women. The studies were considered to be at high risk of bias.The prostaglandins used were PG E2 analogue (sulprostone) in 50 participants and PG E1 analogue (misoprostol) in 194 participants at a dose of 250 mcg and 800 mcg respectively. The prostaglandins compared with placebo, were not superior in reducing the rate of manual removal of placenta (average risk ratio (RR) 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54 to 1.27), severe postpartum haemorrhage (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.15), need for blood transfusion (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.43 to 1.22), mean blood loss (mean difference (MD) -205.26 mL; 95% CI -536.31 to 125.79, random-effects) and the mean time from injection to placental removal (MD -7.00 minutes; 95% CI -21.20 to 7.20). Side-effects were no different between groups (vomiting, headache, pain and nausea between injection and discharge from the labour ward), with the exception of shivering, which was more frequent in women receiving prostaglandins (RR 10.00; 95% CI 1.40 to 71.49). We did not obtain any data for the primary outcomes of maternal mortality and the need to add another therapeutic uterotonic. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Currently there is limited, very low-quality evidence relating to the effectiveness and the safety using prostaglandins for the management of retained placenta. Use of prostaglandins resulted in less need for manual removal of placenta, severe postpartum haemorrhage and blood transfusion but none of the differences reached statistical significance. Much larger, adequately powered studies are needed to confirm that these clinically important beneficial effects are not just chance findings.Similarly, no differences were detected between prostaglandins and placebo in mean blood loss or the mean time from injection to placental removal (minutes) or side-effects (vomiting, headache, pain and nausea between injection and discharge from the labour ward) except for 'shivering' which was more frequent in women who received prostaglandin. The included studies were of poor quality and there is little confidence in the effect estimates; the true effect is likely to be substantially different. We can not make any recommendations about changes to clinical practice. More high-quality research in this area is needed.

Enemas during labour.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of enemas during labour usually reflects the preference of the attending healthcare provider, enemas may cause discomfort for women. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of enemas applied during the first stage of labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (31 May 2013), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 5), PubMed (1966 to 31 May 2013), LILACS (31 May 2013), the Search Portal of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (31 May 2013), Health Technology Assessment Program, UK (31 May 2013), Medical Research Council, UK (31 May 2013), The Wellcome Trust, UK (31 May 2013) and reference lists of retrieved articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which an enema was administered during the first stage of labour and which included assessment of possible neonatal or puerperal morbidity or mortality. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion. MAIN RESULTS: Four RCTs (1917 women) met the inclusion criteria. One study was judged as having a low risk of bias. In the meta-analysis we conducted of two trials, we found no significant difference in infection rates for puerperal women (two RCTs; 594 women; risk ratio (RR) 0.66, 95% confidence (CI) 0.42 to 1.04). No significant differences were found in neonatal umbilical infection rates (two RCTs; 592 women; RR 3.16, 95% CI 0.50 to 19.82; I(2) 0%. In addition, meta-analysis of two studies found that there were no significant differences in the degree of perineal tear between groups. Finally, meta-analysis of two trials found no significant differences in the mean duration of labour. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The evidence provided by the four included RCTs shows that enemas do not have a significant beneficial effect on infection rates such as perineal wound infection or other neonatal infections and women's satisfaction. These findings speak against the routine use of enemas during labour, therefore, such practice should be discouraged.

Enemas during labour.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of enemas during labour usually reflects the preference of the attending healthcare provider, enemas may cause discomfort for women. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of enemas applied during the first stage of labour on maternal and neonatal outcomes. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (17 May 2012), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 5), PubMed (1966 to 17 May 2012), LILACS (17 May 2012), the Search Portal of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (17 May 2012), Health Technology Assessment Program, UK (17 May 2012), Medical Research Council, UK (17 May 2012), The Wellcome Trust, UK (17 May 2012) and reference lists of retrieved articles. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which an enema was administered during the first stage of labour and which included assessment of possible neonatal or puerperal morbidity or mortality. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion.  MAIN RESULTS: Four RCTs (1917 women) met the inclusion criteria. One study was judged as having a low risk of bias. In the meta-analysis we conducted of two trials, we found no significant difference in infection rates for puerperal women (two RCTs; 594 women; risk ratio (RR) 0.66, 95% confidence (CI) 0.42 to 1.04). No significant differences were found in neonatal umbilical infection rates (two RCTs; 592 women; RR 3.16, 95% CI 0.50 to 19.82; I² 0%. In addition, meta-analysis of two studies found that there were no significant differences in the degree of perineal tear between groups. Finally, meta-analysis of two trials found no significant differences in the mean duration of labour. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The evidence provided by the four included RCTs shows that enemas do not have a significant beneficial effect on infection rates such as perineal wound infection or other neonatal infections and women's satisfaction. These findings speak against the routine use of enemas during labour, therefore, such practice should be discouraged.

Las infecciones del tracto genital femenino: una oportunidad para renovar las políticas y la investigación en salud sexual y reproductiva: [editoriales] / Sexually-transmitted infections in women; an opportunity for renewing policies and the research agenda regarding sexual and reproductive health in Colombia: [editorial]

En este número de la Revista Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecología se presentan los resultados del estudio: “Prevalencia y factores asociados a la infección por C. trachomatis, N. gonorrheae, T. vaginalis, C. albicans, sífilis, VIH y vaginosis bacteriana en mujeres con síntomas de infección vaginal en tres sitios de atención de Bogotá, Colombia, 2010”. Estos resultados muestran a la vaginosis bacteriana y Candida sp. como las principales causas de estas infecciones. Respecto a las ITS se encontró que Chlamydia trachomatis fue el germen con mayor prevalencia. Además, se determinó que Neisseria gonorroeae, Treponema pallidum y Trichomonas vaginalis siguen siendo frecuentes en nuestra población, no obstante su baja prevalencia. Este estudio nos alerta sobre la importancia que siguen teniendo las infecciones del tracto genital como problema de salud pública en el país, no solo por el consumo de recursos relacionados con la consulta al médico general o especialista, los métodos diagnósticos utilizados y el tratamiento, entre otros, sino también por las consecuencias en calidad de vida, las complicaciones y las secuelas en las pacientes. Por otra parte, en nuestro medio es posible que se presente amplia variabilidad en la práctica clínica respecto al diagnóstico y manejo de estas infecciones.

The current issue of the Revista Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecología presents the results of a study entitled, “The prevalence of and factors associated with C. trachomatis, N. gonorrheae, T. vaginalis, C. albicans infection, syphilis, HIV and bacterial vaginosis in females suffering lower genital tract infection symptoms in three healthcare attention sites in Bogotá, Colombia, 2010.” The results showed that bacterial vaginosis and Candida sp. were the main causes of such infections. Regarding STI, it was found that Chlamydia trachomatis was the germ having the greatest prevalence; it was also determined that Neisseria gonorroeae, Treponema pallidum and Trichomonas vaginalis continue appearing frequently in our population, notwithstanding their low prevalence. This study warns about genital tract infections’ continued importance as a public health problem in Colombia, not just because of the consumption of resources related to consulting a GP or specialist, the diagnostic methods used and treatment but rather the consequences regarding patients’ quality of life, complications and aftermath. There may also be wide variability in clinical practice in our setting regarding the diagnosis and management of such infections.

El papel de las sociedades científicas y la academia en la actualización permanente del plan de beneficios en el sistema de seguridad social en Colombia: [editoriales] / The role of scientific societies and the academic world in the ongoing updating of the Colombian health social security system’s benefits plan: [editorial]

El plan de beneficios ha sido definido como un “conjunto de actividades, procedimientos, suministros y reconocimientos que se brinda a las personas, con el propósito de mantener o recuperar la salud y evitar el menoscabo de su capacidad económica derivada de la incapacidad temporal por enfermedad general, maternidad y la incapacidad, discapacidad o invalidez derivada de los riesgos de accidentes de trabajo y enfermedad profesional”.En Colombia la ley 100 creó inicialmente tres planes de beneficios: el plan de atención básica (PAB), el plan obligatorio de salud contributivo (POS) y el plan obligatorio de salud subsidiado (POSS), diferentes en su origen y en los servicios que proporcionan a la población beneficiaria. La sentencia T 760 de 2008 de la Corte Constitucional ordenó, entre otros aspectos, los relacionados con el plan de beneficios: “(i) adoptar medidas para eliminar la incertidumbre acerca del contenido de los planes de beneficios y lograr la actualización periódica de los mismos; (ii) unificar los planes de beneficios (POS y POSS), primero en el caso de los niños y, luego, progresivamente en el caso de los adultos, teniendo en cuenta su adecuada financiación”.De acuerdo con esta sentencia, el antiguo Ministerio de la Protección Social, hoy en día Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, comenzó a dar una serie de pasos para cumplir lo ordenado por la Corte Constitucional. En ese sentido, el Ministerio divulga en el año 2009, a petición de la Comisión de Regulación en Salud (CRES), el documento para la actualización integral de los planes obligatorios de salud.3 En este documento se plantean como elementos centrales en la actualización del plan de beneficios los siguientes aspectos: la priorización de las problemáticas en salud que deben ser abordadas por el plan de beneficios, el desarrollo de las guías de atención integral basadas en la evidencia y la evaluación de tecnologías en salud

The benefits’ plan has been defined as “providing people with a set of activities, procedures, supplies, and recognition, aimed at maintaining or recovering their health and avoiding affecting their economic capacity derived from temporary disability caused by general illness, maternity, and incapacity, handicap or invalidity arising from the risk of accidents at work and professional disease.”Colombian law 100 initially created three benefit plans: the basic attention plan (plan de atención básica -PAB), the obligatory contribution-type plan (plan obligatorio de salud contributivo POS) and the subsidised obligatory health plan (plan obligatorio de salud subsidiado POSS), being different in their origin and regarding the services which they included for the benefiting population. Constitutional Court ruling T 760/2008 ordered the following regarding benefit plans, “measures should be adopted for eliminating uncertainty about the content of benefit plans and they must be periodically updated; benefit plans (POS and POSS) must be unified, firstly in the case of children and then, progressively, in the case of adults, bearing their suitable funding in mind.”According to the above ruling, the former Ministry of Social Protection, today the Ministry of Health and Social Protection began to take a series of steps towards fulfilling that ordered by the Constitutional Court. The Ministry circulated a petition from the Health Regulation Commission (Comisión de Regulación en Salud – CRES) in 2009; such document was aimed at the integral updating of obligatory health plans.3 Central elements of this document concerned updating benefit plans: prioritising problems concerning health which should be dealt with by the benefits’ plan, developing guidelines for evidence-based integral attention and evaluating health technology

Laparoscopy for the management of acute lower abdominal pain in women of childbearing age.

BACKGROUND: Acute lower abdominal pain is common and making a diagnosis is particularly challenging in premenopausal woman as ovulation and menstruation symptoms overlap with the symptoms of appendicitis and pelvic infection. A management strategy involving early laparoscopy could potentially provide a more accurate diagnosis, earlier treatment and reduced risk of complications. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and harms of laparoscopy for the management of acute lower abdominal pain in women of childbearing age. SEARCH STRATEGY: The  Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group (MDSG) Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, LILACS and CINHAL were searched (to April 2010). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that included women of childbearing age who presented with acute lower abdominal pain, nonspecific lower abdominal pain or suspected appendicitis were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data from studies that met the inclusion criteria were independently extracted by two authors and the risk of bias assessed. MAIN RESULTS: Laparoscopy was compared with open appendicectomy in eight RCTs. Laparoscopy was associated with an increased rate of specific diagnoses (7 RCTs, 561 participants; OR 4.10, 95% CI 2.50 to 6.71; I(2) 18%) but there was no evidence of reduced rate for any adverse event (8 RCTs, 623 participants; OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.10; I(2) 0%).Laparoscopic diagnosis versus a 'wait and see' strategy was investigated in four RCTs. There was a significant difference favouring laparoscopy in the rate of specific diagnoses (4 RCTs, 395 participants; OR 6.07, 95% CI 1.85 to 29.88; I(2) 79%) but there was no evidence of a difference in the rates of adverse events (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.67; I(2) 0%).   AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of laparoscopy in women with nonspecific abdominal pain and suspected appendicitis include a higher rate of specific diagnoses being made and a lower rate of removal of normal appendices compared to open appendicectomy only. Hospital stays were shorter. There was no evidence of an increase in adverse events with any of the strategies.

Validación de índices pronósticos e infección del sitio quirúrgico en hospitales de Colombia / Validating prognostic surgical site infection indices from hospitals in Colombia

Objetivo Establecer la capacidad predictiva para infección del sitio quirúrgico (ISQ) de los índices de riesgo del National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS) y Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control (SENIC) en cinco hospitales y, evaluar la capacidad predictiva de otros factores de riesgo. Métodos Cohorte prospectiva de pacientes sometidos a cirugía entre julio de 2006 a febrero de 2007 en cinco hospitales de Colombia. Se definió ISQ según los criterios del CDC. Se evaluaron variables como: edad, género, coomorbilidad, tipo de cirugía, herida, especialidad, tiempo quirúrgico y desenlace. Se evaluó el desempeño operativo de los índices usando el área bajo la curva operador receptor; se construyó un modelo predictivo usando un modelo de regresión logística incondicional con las variables asociadas a infección en el análisis bivariado y/o aquellas conocidas por estudios previos. Resultados Fueron evaluados 7 022 procedimientos quirúrgicos con una tasa de ISQ de 2,9 por ciento. El rendimiento de los índices de riesgo NNIS y SENIC fue muy similar para predecir ISQ (área bajo la curva de 0,682 IC95 por ciento 0,641-0,710 y 0,668 IC95 por ciento 0.641-0.722, respectivamente). Se construyó un modelo predictivo que incluía variables del NNIS y SENIC, además de edad, antecedente de diabetes, transfusiones y especialidad quirúrgica el cual mostró un desempeño de 0,746 (IC95 por ciento 0,709-0,783), en ISQ superficial de 0,70 (IC95 por ciento 0,659-0,741), en ISQ profunda de 0,712 (IC95 por ciento 0,673-0,751) y en ISQ órgano espacio de 0,719 (IC95 por ciento 0,683-0,755). Conclusiones Los modelos de predicción existentes para ISQ tienen una moderada capacidad discriminativa pero pueden ser mejorados con algunos factores locales.

Objective Establishing the effectiveness of the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (NNIS) and Study of the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control's (SENIC) prognostic surgical site infection (SSI) indices in Colombian hospitals and assessing the influence of other risk factors. Methods A prospective, multicentre cohort study was conducted in five Colombian hospitals. All patients undergoing surgery requiring hospitalisation or ambulatory surgeries having a greater risk of infection were enrolled. A case was defined as being those subjects who presented the CDC diagnostic criteria of incisional superficial, deep incisional or organ-space SSI. Age, gender, co-morbidities, type of surgery, procedures, medical specialty, type of wound, surgical time, antibiotic prophylaxis and patient outcome were used for developing a predictive model of SSI using logistical regression analysis. The indexes' predictive ability was assessed by using the area under the receiver operating curve (ROC). Results 7,022 surgical procedures were evaluated and SSI rate was 2.9 percent. NNIS and SENIC risk index performance was similar to that for predicting SSI (0.68 cf 0.66 area under ROC, respectively). The new predictive model involved other factors such as age, diabetes mellitus, transfusions and surgical specialty showing 0.74 operating performance. Conclusions Existing SSI predictive models have a moderate ability for predicting SSI but this can be improved with some local factors.

Epidemiological estimators’ power of rating inequality in health in high-income OECD countries, 1998-2002 / Capacidad de estimadores epidemiológicos para medir disparidades en salud en países OCDE de alto ingreso, 1998-2002

Objective Examining the power (ability) of classical epidemiological estimators to rate inequality in health in univariate and composite ways. Methods Ecological study. Ratio, excess risk, attributable risk (AR) and relative difference were the estimators used for showing disparities; all of them were weighted by population size. Kappa concordance coefficient was used between weighted estimators and weighted Gini coefficients for each health outcome used. Cumulative variance at first factor in principal component analysis was used for determining the estimators’ suitability for use in a composite index. 24 high-income OECD (Organisation for Economical Cooperation and Development) countries’ data for 1998-2002 were included. Such data was obtained from OECD health data for 2004 (3rd edition). Data concerning child mortality and gross domestic product (GDP) was obtained from World Development Indicators for 2005 on CD-ROM.The main outcomes compared amongst countries were: maternal mortality, child mortality, infant mortality, low birth-weight, life-expectancy, measles’ immunisation and DTP immunisation. Results Ratio and AR ranked maternal mortality as being the condition having the most disparity; risk excess ranked vaccination programmes and relative difference ranked low birth-weight as being the worst conditions. There was concordance in the ranking of inequities amongst ratio, AR and Gini coefficients (p<0.05). Cumulative variance in the first factor was higher for ratio and AR when they were used for constructing a composite index. Conclusions Ratio and AR were better than risk excess and relative difference for measuring disparities in health and constructing composite inequity in health indexes.

Objetivo Evaluar la capacidad de la Razón (R), exceso de riesgo (ER), fracción atribuible (FA) y diferencia relativa (DR) para medir las desigualdades en salud. Metodos Estudio ecológico. Se ponderó por el tamaño de la población. La concordancia por indicador entre estimadores y coeficiente de Gini (Gini) se evaluó con coeficiente Kappa. La varianza acumulada en el primer factor (análisis de componentes principales) fue utilizada para evaluar la capacidad de los estimadores para ser utilizados en un índice compuesto. 24 Países de Alto Ingreso (según Banco Mundial) entre 1998 y 2002, fueron incluidos. Los datos se obtuvieron del OECD Health Data, 2004 y del World Development Indicators-2005. Los indicadores comparados entre los países fueron: Mortalidad materna, mortalidad en niños menores de 5 años, mortalidad infantil, bajo peso al nacer, expectativa de vida al nacer, inmunización contra sarampión y contra DTP. Resultados R y FA posicionaron la mortalidad materna como la condición de mayor disparidad, ER posicionó los programas de vacunación y DR posicionó el bajo peso al nacer como la peor condición. Hubo concordancia en el posicionamiento de las desigualdades entre R, FA y Gini (p<0.05). La varianza acumulada en el primer factor fue mayor para R y FA, cuando ellos se utilizaron para construir un indicador compuesto. Conclusiones R y la FA atribuible son mejores que el ER y la DR para medir desigualdades en salud entre países y para construir un indicador de inequidad en salud compuesto.

Caracterización de un brote de infección por Acinetobacter baumannii en una unidad de cuidado crítico en Bogotá, Colombia / Characterization of an outbreak infection caused by Acinetobacter baumanni in an intensive care unit, in Bogotá, Colombia

Objetivo: caracterización de un brote de infección por Acinetobacter baumannii y determinación de los factores asociados. Diseño: estudio de casos y controles anidado en una cohorte de pacientes críticos entre octubre de 2003 y marzo de 2004. Criterios de inclusión: haber estado hospitalizado en la unidad de cuidados intensivos en el mismo periodo y ser sometidos a procedimientos invasivos. Se excluyeron los pacientes que fallecieron en las primeras 24 horas de haber ingresado a la unidad de cuidados intensivos o que habían sido remitidos de otras instituciones. Se evaluó edad, sexo, antecedentes de enfermedad crónica, índice de intervención terapéutica (therapeutic index score system, TISS), tiempo de uso de dispositivos invasivos, tipo de nutrición, exposición previa a antibióticos, procedimiento quirúrgico, tiempo de uso de exposición y estancia. La investigación epidemiológica de los aislamientos incluyó la tipificación molecular mediante electroforesis en gel de campo pulsado. Resultados: los aislamientos de A baumannii provenientes de los pacientes infectados y de los cultivos de vigilancia fueron resistentes a múltiples antibióticos. Los aislamientos se encontraron relacionados genéticamente con un porcentaje de similitud mayor del 97 por ciento. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre la infección de A. baumannii y un mayor puntaje de intervención terapéutica durante la hospitalización (p=0,030), uso de nutrición parenteral (0=0,030) y tiempo de exposición (p=0,02 super índice 2). Conclusiones: la infección por A baumannii, Se asoció a un mayor índice de intervención terapeútica, al uso de nutrición parenteral y al tiempo de exposición. Los aislamientos se encontraron relacionados genéticamente.

Epidemiological estimators' power of rating inequality in health in high-income OECD countries, 1998-2002.

OBJECTIVE: Examining the power (ability) of classical epidemiological estimators to rate inequality in health in univariate and composite ways. METHODS: Ecological study. Ratio, excess risk, attributable risk (AR) and relative difference were the estimators used for showing disparities; all of them were weighted by population size. Kappa concordance coefficient was used between weighted estimators and weighted Gini coefficients for each health outcome used. Cumulative variance at first factor in principal component analysis was used for determining the estimators' suitability for use in a composite index. 24 high-income OECD (Organisation for Economical Cooperation and Development) countries' data for 1998-2002 were included. Such data was obtained from OECD health data for 2004 (3rd edition). Data concerning child mortality and gross domestic product (GDP) was obtained from World Development Indicators for 2005 on CD-ROM.The main outcomes compared amongst countries were: maternal mortality, child mortality, infant mortality, low birth-weight, life-expectancy, measles' immunisation and DTP immunisation. RESULTS: Ratio and AR ranked maternal mortality as being the condition having the most disparity; risk excess ranked vaccination programmes and relative difference ranked low birth-weight as being the worst conditions. There was concordance in the ranking of inequities amongst ratio, AR and Gini coefficients (p<0.05). Cumulative variance in the first factor was higher for ratio and AR when they were used for constructing a composite index. CONCLUSIONS: Ratio and AR were better than risk excess and relative difference for measuring disparities in health and constructing composite inequity in health indexes.