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The diagnostic accuracy of pleural effusion and plasma samples versus tumour tissue for detection of EGFR mutation in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: comparison of methodologies

Conclusions MPE and plasma are valid surrogates for NSCLC tumour EGFR mutation detection when tissue is not available. ARMS is most suitable for mutation detection in tissue and MPE cell blocks; however, mutant-specific IHC could be a complementary method when DNA-based molecular testing is unavailable. (Source: Journal of Clinical Pathology)

Monoclonal antibody for reducing the risk of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children

Abstract BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important viral pathogens causing acute respiratory infections, resulting in about 3.4 million hospitalisations annually in children under five. Palivizumab is the only product approved for prevention of serious RSV disease, as motavizumab is no longer being developed for this condition. The efficacy and safety of palivizumab has been evaluated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a large number of economic evaluations (EEs) have tested its cost‐effectiveness. ObjectivesTo assess the effectiveness and safety of palivizumab prophylaxis in reducing the risk of complications (hospitalization due to RSV infection) in high‐risk infants and children. To assess the cost‐effectiveness (or cost‐utility) of paliviz...

QoL, BMI predict exacerbations in Japanese COPD patients

Analysis of a cohort of Japanese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with a low exacerbation frequency shows that low body mass index and poor health-related quality of life independently predict flare ups of the disease. (Source: MedWire News - Respiratory)

Perseverant, non-indicated treatment of obese patients for obstructive lung disease

Conclusion: A substantial proportion of patients with obesity referred for pulmonary function testing did not have obstructive lung disease, but were treated nonetheless, before and after spirometry demonstrating absence of airway obstruction. (Source: BMC Pulmonary Medicine - Latest articles)

Diagnostic accuracy of a serotype-specific antigen test in community-acquired pneumonia

Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of a serotype-specific urinary antigen detection multiplex assay for identification of 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) in urine of patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Adult patients with clinical suspicion of community-acquired pneumonia were included. In addition to standard diagnostic procedures, a urine sample was collected to perform the urinary antigen detection test. Demographic, clinical, radiological and microbiological data were collected.

Among 1095 community-acquired pneumonia patients Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified as causative pathogen in 257 (23%), when using conventional diagnostic methods and in 357 (33%) when urinary antigen detection was added. Of the 49 bacteraemic episodes caused by one of the 13 serotypes covered by the urinary antigen detection, 48 were detected by the urinary antigen detection, indicating a sensitivity of 98%. Of the 77 community-acquired pneumonia episodes with a "non-urinary antigen detection" causative pathogen, none had a positive urinary antigen detection result, indicating a specificity of 100%.

Addition of the urinary antigen detection test to conventional diagnostic methods increased the prevalence of S. pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia by 39%. Using bacteraemic episodes as reference sensitivity and specificity of the urinary antigen detection was 98% and 100%, respectively.

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