连接酶链反应与培养法检测沙眼衣原体的比较

目的 比较连接酶链反应（ＬＣＲ）与培养法检测沙眼衣原体（ＣＴ）在泌尿生殖道感染中的临床意义。方法 应用ＬＣＲ对４０２份门诊患者的尿标本进行ＣＴ检测,其中２２６份取尿道拭子（男）或宫颈拭子（女）同时用培养法和ＬＣＲ检测ＣＴ,对两种方法的检测结果进行了比较分析。结果 ＬＣＲ法检测４０２份尿标本,ＣＴ阳性率为２８．３％（１１４／４０２）,２２６份拭子标本用ＬＣＲ法检测,阳性率为２７．０％（６１／２２６）     

Chlamydia and other sexually transmitted bacterial infections

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterium worldwide. In Western Europe, the prevalence of gonorrhoea has decreased by more than 95% since the 1970ies; "tripper" and syphilis are essentially confined to high-risk groups while genital chlamydial infections affect people of all social classes, but information about chlamydia is still scarce in many European countries. Clinically genital chlamydial infections resemble gonorrhoea (dysuria, discharge, irregular bleeding, dyspareunia, perihepatitis) and may be mistaken for appendicitis. However, Chlamydia trachomatis persists longer and more often asymptomatic than Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the urogenital tract of men and women. About 20% of all chlamydia infected women suffer from partial or complete tubal occlusion. Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of female infertility, but most of these women never experienced any clinical sign of pelvic inflammatory disease. Since particle concentrations are often very low in urine and cervical secretions only DNA-amplification tests, e.g. PCR or LCR, exhibit sufficient sensitivity for direct detection Chlamydia trachomatis. While Neisseria gonorrhoeae is eradicated by single-shot treatment with commonly used antibiotics like penicillins or cephalosporins Chlamydia trachomatis affords treatment for at least 10 days with doxycyline or macrolides. Partner treatment is essential to avoid reinfections. Condoms not only protect against HIV, but also against chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.     

The usefulness of urine fluorescence for suspected antifreeze ingestion in children

PURPOSE: To evaluate urine fluorescence as a diagnostic tool. PROCEDURES: Using a Wood lamp, 60 physicians, assigned to group 1 or 2, independently rated 150 urine specimens from nonpoisoned children as fluorescent or nonfluorescent. Interobserver and intraobserver agreements were assessed. Physician ratings were compared with fluorometry results. The prevalence of urine fluorescence was determined by fluorometry. MAIN FINDINGS: Group 1 reported fluorescence in 80.7% (95% CI 73.4%-86.6%) of urine specimens; group 2 reported fluorescence in 69.3% (95% CI 61.3%-76.5%). Interrater agreement was poor (72.5%, kappa = 0.25, 95% CI 0.13-0.37); intrarater agreement was good (physician group 1: 97.9%, kappa = 0.93, 95% CI 0.77-1.00; physician group 2: 93.3%, kappa = 0.85, 95% CI 0.69-1.00). The prevalence of urine fluorescence was 100% (95% CI 98.1%-100%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that determination of urine fluorescence using a Wood lamp is a poor screening tool for suspected antifreeze ingestion in children.     

Point-of-care Urine Trypsinogen Testing for the Diagnosis of Pancreatitis

Objectives
To assess a point-of-care (POC) urine trypsinogen (UT) test for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in the emergency department (ED).
Methods
This was a prospective cohort study of a convenience sample of patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain or symptoms suggestive of pancreatitis. A 3-minute POC UT test (Actim Pancreatitis; Medix Biochemica, Kauniainen, Finland) was compared with plasma lipase and amylase measurements, imaging results when performed, and final discharge diagnoses. The criterion standard was a final discharge diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.
Results
Of 191 patients included in this study, 17 patients were diagnosed with either acute or acute-on-chronic pancreatitis. The sensitivity and specificity of UT for acute pancreatitis were, respectively, 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 77% to 100%) and 96% (95% CI = 92% to 98%). Seven of the 17 patients with pancreatitis (41%) had diagnostic findings on CT and positive UT tests but had nondiagnostic plasma lipase and amylase levels.
Conclusions
A POC UT screening test for pancreatitis in the ED compared favorably with plasma lipase and amylase levels. Future studies should be performed to explore whether this test in the ED setting has better clinical utility than plasma lipase or amylase.     

The use of abdominal computed tomography in older ED patients with acute abdominal pain

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of use of abdominal computed tomography (CT) in older ED patients with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain, describe the most common diagnostic CT findings, and determine the proportion of diagnostic CT results. This was a prospective, observational, multicenter study of 337 patients 60 years or older. History was obtained prospectively; charts were reviewed for radiographic findings, dispositions, diagnoses, and clinical course, and patients were followed up at 2 weeks for additional information. The prevalence of use of abdominal CT was 37%. The most common diagnostic findings were diverticulitis (18%), bowel obstruction (18%), nephrolithiasis (10%), and gallbladder disease (10%). Eight percent of patients had findings suggestive of neoplasm. Overall, 57% of CT results were diagnostic (95% confidence interval [CI], 49%-66%), 75% (95% CI, 63%-84%) for patients requiring acute medical or surgical intervention, and 85% (95% CI, 62%-97%) for patients requiring acute surgical intervention. CT use is highly prevalent in older ED patients with acute abdominal pain. CT results are often diagnostic, especially for patients with emergent conditions.     

Diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility in the interpretation of Ottawa ankle and foot rules by specialized emergency nurses

OBJECTIVES: The ED is often confronted with long waiting periods. Because of the progressive shortage in general practitioners, further growth is expected in the number of patients visiting the ED without consulting a general practitioner first. These patients mainly present with minor injuries suitable for a standardized diagnostic protocol. The question was raised whether these injuries can be treated by trained ED nurses (specialized emergency nurses [SENs]). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of SENs in assessing ankle sprains by applying the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) and Ottawa Foot Rules (OFR). METHODS: In a prospective study, all ankle sprains presented in the ED from April to July 2004 were assessed by both a SEN and a junior doctor (house officer [HO]) randomized for first observer. Before the study, SENs were trained in applying OAR and OFR. In all patients, radiography was performed (gold standard). The diagnostic accuracy for the application of OAR and OFR was calculated for both groups and was compared using z statistics. Furthermore, from the paired results, reproducibility was calculated using kappa statistics. RESULTS: In total, 106 injuries were assessed in pairs, of which 14 were ultimately found to concern acute fractures (prevalence, 13%). The sensitivity for the SEN group was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-1.00) compared with 0.93 (95% CI, 0.64-1.00) for the HO group (no significance [ns]). The specificity of the nurses was 0.49 (95% CI, 0.38-0.60) compared with 0.39 (95% CI, 0.29-0.50) for the doctors (ns). The positive predictive value for the SEN group was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.13-0.35) compared with 0.19 (95% CI, 0.11-0.31) for the HO group (ns). The negative predictive value for the nurses was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.87-1.00) compared with 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-1.00) for the doctors (ns). The interobserver agreement for the OAR and OFR subsets was kappa = 0.38 for the lateral malleolus; kappa = 0.30, medial malleolus; kappa = 0.50, navicular; kappa = 0.45, metatarsal V base; and kappa = 0.43, weight-bearing. The overall interobserver agreement for the OAR was kappa = 0.41 and kappa = 0.77 for the OFR. CONCLUSION: Specialized emergency nurses are able to assess ankle and foot injuries in an accurate manner with regard to the detection of acute fractures after a short, inexpensive course.     

Nucleic-acid amplification testing of urine vs. patient complaint-driven evaluation

The present pilot study compared the ability of a conventional patient complaint-driven approach to that of nucleic-acid amplification testing (NAAT) of urine to identify those individuals among an adult, urban, Emergency Department (ED) population infected with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Urine for NAAT was collected for testing after individuals had completed a questionnaire and before being seen by a physician. A total of 614 subjects were enrolled, and complete physical examinations were performed on 348 (56.6%) individuals, with women being significantly more likely to receive such an evaluation (odds ratio [OR] 3.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.96-4.86); p < 0.001). A total of 153 (24.9%) of the study cohort tested positive for a least one sexually transmitted disease (STD), and only a reported history of STD (OR 1.74; 95% CI (1.18-2.57); p = 0.005) and a history of a new sexual partner in the last 3 months (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.13-2.82); p = 0.012) were predictive of a positive STD test. NAAT of urine samples on patients who did not receive a complete physical examination resulted in a 33% (51/153) increase in diagnostic yield in this cohort of ED attendees.     

Serious Bacterial Infection in Recently Immunized Young Febrile Infants

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in febrile infants without a source aged 6–12 weeks who have received immunizations in the preceding 72 hours. Methods: The authors conducted a medical record review of infants aged 6–12 weeks with a fever of ≥38.0°C presenting to the pediatric emergency department (ED) over 88 months. Infants were classified either as having received immunizations within the 72 hours preceding the ED visit (recent immunization [RI]) or as not having received immunizations during this time period (no recent immunization [NRI]). Primary outcome of an SBI was based on culture results; only patients with a minimum of blood and urine cultures were studied. Results: A total of 1,978 febrile infants were studied, of whom 213 (10.8%) had received RIs. The overall prevalence of definite SBI was 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.5 to 7.7). The prevalence of definite SBI in NRI infants was 7.0% (95% CI = 5.9 to 8.3) compared to 2.8% (95% CI = 0.6 to 5.1) in the RI infants. The prevalence of definite SBI in febrile infants vaccinated in the preceding 24 hours decreased to 0.6% (95% CI = 0 to 1.9). The prevalence of definite SBI in febrile infants vaccinated greater than 24 hours prior to presentation was 8.9% (95 CI = 1.5 to 16.4). The relative risk of SBI with RI was 0.41 (95% CI = 0.19 to 0.90). All SBIs in the RI infants were urinary tract infections (UTI). Conclusions: Among febrile infants, the prevalence of SBI is less in the initial 24 hours following immunizations. However, there is still a substantial risk of UTI. Therefore, urine testing should be considered in febrile infants who present within 24 hours of immunization. Infants who present greater than 24 hours after immunizations with fever should be managed similarly to infants without RIs.     

Differences in Long-term Mortality for Different Emergency Department Presenting Complaints

Objectives: To characterize long‐term mortality based on previous emergency department (ED) presenting complaints. Methods: The authors followed, for 10 years, all of the 12,667 nonsurgical patients visiting an ED during 1995/1996. Differences in standardized mortality ratio (SMR) depending on presenting complaints were then investigated. Results: During follow‐up, 5,324 deaths occurred (mortality rate 6.6 per 100 person‐years at risk), giving a SMR of 1.33 (95% CI = 1.30 to 1.37, p < 0.001) when compared with the expected mortality in the catchment area. Different presenting complaints were associated with different long‐term mortality rates, independent of age and gender (p < 0.0001). The subjects with seizures had the highest SMR (2.62, 95% CI = 2.13 to 3.22) followed by intoxications (2.51, 95% CI = 2.11 to 2.98), asthmalike symptoms (1.84, 95% CI = 1.65 to 2.06), and hyperglycemia (1.67, 95% CI = 1.42 to 1.95). The largest complaint group, chest pain, had a 20% higher mortality rate than the background population (95% CI = 1.13 to 1.26). Patients with a discharge diagnosis of myocardial infarction, but without chest pain as the presenting complaint, had an increased long‐term mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.70, 95% CI = 1.15 to 2.42) compared to the group with chest pain. In contrast, stroke patients without strokelike symptoms had a reduced mortality (HR 0.74, 95% CI = 0.65 to 0.84) compared to patients with strokelike symptoms. Conclusions: Long‐term age‐ and gender‐adjusted mortality is the highest with seizures out of 33 presenting complaints and differs markedly between different ED admission complaints. Furthermore, depending on the admission complaint, long‐term mortality differs within the same discharge diagnosis. Hence, the presenting complaint adds unique information to the discharge diagnosis regarding long‐term mortality in nonsurgical patients.     

Association between the "Seat Belt Sign" and Intra-abdominal Injury in Children with Blunt Torso Trauma

Objectives: To determine the association between an abdominal “seat belt sign” (SBS) and intra‐abdominal injury (IAI) in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) after blunt trauma. Methods: The authors performed a prospective, observational study of children at risk for IAI who presented to a Level 1 trauma center following a motor vehicle collision (MVC) during a two‐year period. Physical examination findings were recorded prior to abdominal imaging or surgery. The SBS was defined as an area of erythema, ecchymoses, and/or abrasions across the patient's abdominal wall resulting from a seat belt restraint. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on the presence or absence of an SBS, then further subdivided based on abdominal tenderness or pain. The authors compared patients with and without SBS, and those with and without abdominal pain or tenderness for the presence of IAI. Results: Three hundred ninety children, of whom 46 (12%, 95% CI = 9% to 15%) had an SBS, were enrolled. IAIs were more common in patients with, versus without, an SBS (14/46 vs. 36/344, relative risk 2.9; 95% CI = 1.7 to 5.0; p < 0.001). Patients with an SBS were more likely to have gastrointestinal injuries than those without an SBS (12/46 vs. 7/344, relative risk 12.8; 95% CI = 5.3 to 31; p = 0.001). Pancreatic injuries were also more common among patients with an SBS (3/46 vs. 1/344, relative risk 22; 95% CI = 2.4 to 211; p = 0.006). There was no difference in the prevalence of solid organ injuries between those with and without an SBS (4/46 vs. 34/344, relative risk 0.9, 95% CI = 0.3 to 2.4; p = 1.00). None of the six patients (0%, 95% CI = 0 to 39%) with an SBS, but without abdominal pain or tenderness, had IAIs. Conclusions: Patients with an SBS after an MVC are more likely to have IAIs than patients without an SBS, predominately due to a higher rate of gastrointestinal injuries. Patients with an SBS but without abdominal pain or tenderness appear to be at low risk for IAI.     

The Validity of Chief Complaint and Discharge Diagnosis in Emergency Department–based Syndromic Surveillance

OBJECTIVE: Emergency department (ED)-based syndromic surveillance systems are being used by public health departments to monitor for outbreaks of infectious diseases, including bioterrorism; however, few systems have been validated. The authors evaluated a "drop-in" syndromic surveillance system by comparing syndrome categorization in the ED with chief complaints and ED discharge diagnoses from medical record review. METHODS: A surveillance form was completed for each ED visit at 15 participating Arizona hospitals between October 27 and November 18, 2001. Each patient visit was assigned one of ten clinical syndromes or "none." For six of 15 EDs, kappa statistics were used to compare syndrome agreement between surveillance forms and syndrome categorization with chief complaint and ED discharge diagnosis from medical record review. RESULTS: Overall, agreement between surveillance forms and ED discharge diagnoses (kappa = 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52 to 0.59) was significantly higher than between surveillance forms and chief complaints (kappa = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.52). Agreement between chief complaints and ED discharge diagnoses was poor for respiratory tract infection with fever (kappa = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.39). Furthermore, pediatric chief complaints showed lower agreement for respiratory tract infection with fever when compared with adults (kappa = 0.34 [95% CI = 0.20 to 0.47] vs. kappa = 0.44 [95% CI = 0.28 to 0.59], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In general, this syndromic surveillance system classified patients into appropriate syndrome categories with fair to good agreement compared with chief complaints and discharge diagnoses. The present findings suggest that use of ED discharge diagnoses, in addition to or instead of chief complaints, may increase surveillance validity for both automated and drop-in syndromic surveillance systems.     

Beta-Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Levels and the Likelihood of Ectopic Pregnancy in Emergency Department Patients with Abdominal Pain or Vaginal Bleeding

Strategies for diagnosing ectopic pregnancy that defer endovaginal ultrasound in women with suggestive symptoms and serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) levels less than 1500 mIU/mL ignore the increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To quantify this increased risk by establishing and comparing the beta-hCG distributions of symptomatic women with ectopic pregnancies, abnormal intrauterine pregnancies, and normal intrauterine pregnancies. METHODS: The authors reviewed the records of a cohort of women who visited an urban emergency department (ED) during a 34-month period with abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding and non-zero quantitative beta-hCG levels. Explicit criteria were used to determine whether the pregnancy ultimately turned out to be intrauterine and normal, intrauterine and abnormal, or ectopic. Probability distributions were compared using frequency distributions, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and likelihood ratios. RESULTS: Of 730 ED patients included in the analysis, 96 (13%) had ectopic pregnancies, 253 (35%) had abnormal intrauterine pregnancies, and 381 (52%) had normal intrauterine pregnancies. The beta-hCG distributions of patients with ectopic pregnancies and abnormal intrauterine pregnancies were similar and much lower than the beta-hCG distribution of patients with normal intrauterine pregnancies. A beta-hCG level less than 1500 mIU/mL more than doubled the odds of ectopic pregnancy (likelihood ratio = 2.24). Of the 158 patients with beta-hCG below 1500 mIU/mL, 40 (25%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19% to 32%) had ectopic pregnancies, and only 25 (16%; CI = 11% to 22%) had normal intrauterine pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: In women with pain or bleeding and serum beta-hCG levels less than 1500 mIU/mL, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is substantially increased, while the likelihood of normal intrauterine pregnancy is low.     

Use of the polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis from endocervical and urine specimens in an asymptomatic low-prevalence population of women

The Amplicor Chlamydia trachomatis test is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methodology used for the detection of a cryptic plasmid found in C. trachomatis. It was evaluated in comparison with cell culture and the Microtrak II Chlamydia enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the detection of C. trachomatis in urogenital specimens from women. Endocervical swabs were collected from 993 women attending the women's unit at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. In addition, concomitant first void urine specimens were collected from 394 of these women for PCR testing only. As compared with culture of the endocervical specimens, PCR and EIA had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 84.6%, 99.2%, 57.9%, and 99.8% and 61.5%, 99.7%, 72.7%, and 99.5%, respectively. As compared with the secondary gold standard of a positive culture and/or a positive PCR using a primer to the major outer membrane protein the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values for culture were 72.2%, 100%, 100%, and 99.5%, respectively. For the Amplicor PCR and EIA the results were 88.9%, 99.7%, 84.2%, and 99.9% and 61.1%, 99.9%, 91.7%, and 99.6%, respectively. When the urine PCR was compared with the same standard, the test had a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 99.5%. Based on this study the Amplicor C. trachomatis test was found to be sensitive and specific for the detection of C. trachomatis in both endocervical and urine specimens.     

The Association Between Emergency Department Crowding and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Chest Pain

Objectives: While emergency department (ED) crowding is a worldwide problem, few studies have demonstrated associations between crowding and outcomes. The authors examined whether ED crowding was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chest pain syndromes (chest pain or related complaints of possible cardiac origin). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for patients ≥30 years of age with chest pain syndrome admitted to a tertiary care academic hospital from 1999 through 2006. The authors compared rates of inpatient adverse outcomes from ED triage to hospital discharge, defined as delayed acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, hypotension, dysrhythmias, and cardiac arrest, which occurred after ED arrival using five separate crowding measures. Results: Among 4,574 patients, 251 (4%) patients developed adverse outcomes after ED arrival; 803 (18%) had documented acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and of those, 273 (34%) had AMI. Compared to less crowded times, ACS patients experienced more adverse outcomes at the highest waiting room census (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3 to 11.0) and patient-hours (OR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.0 to 13.6) and trended toward more adverse outcomes during time of high ED occupancy (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.0 to 9.3). Adverse outcomes were not significantly more frequent during times with the highest number of admitted patients (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.6 to 4.1) or the highest trailing mean length of stay (LOS) for admitted patients transferred to inpatient beds within 6 hours (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 0.5 to 4.0). Patients with non-ACS chest pain experienced more adverse outcomes during the highest waiting room census (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.4 to 8.4) and patient-hours (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.6 to 7.3), but not occupancy (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 0.9 to 3.3), number of admitted patients (OR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.1), or trailing LOS for admitted patients (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.6 to 2.0). Conclusions: There was an association between some measures of ED crowding and a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with both ACS-related and non–ACS-related chest pain syndrome.     

Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice (AMA) from the Emergency Department-Disease Prevalence and Willingness to Return

Background: How patients fare once they leave the emergency department (ED) against medical advice (AMA), and the extent of illness burden that accompanies them, remains unstudied. Objective: To determine the fate of patients leaving the ED AMA for a defined period of time post-discharge. Methods: This was a prospective follow-up study of a convenience sample of patients leaving the ED AMA during two 6-month periods in consecutive calendar years at an urban academic ED with 32,000 annual patient visits. Results: A total of 199 patients were identified, with 194 enrolled. Categories of discharge diagnoses included cardiovascular, undifferentiated abdominal pain, respiratory, and cellulitis. Of the 194 patients studied, 126 patients (64.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 57.6–71.5%) stated that their symptoms had improved or resolved. Of these 126 patients, 109 (86.5%, 95% CI 78.9–91.7%) had their original AMA discharge diagnoses referable to cardiovascular pathology. Ninety-five patients (75.4%, 95% CI 66.7–82.4%) with improved or abated symptoms did not plan to return. Of those with improved or abated symptoms, 31 patients (24.6%, 95% CI 17.6–33.2%) did return, and with further evaluation, 15 of them were found to have significant clinical findings. Of the 68 patients with continuing symptoms, 36 (52.9%, 95% CI 40.5–64.9%) returned for further evaluation. A total of 127 patients did not return. Twenty-five patients (19.7%, 95% CI 15.9–25.4%) expressed a reluctance to return to the same ED for fear of embarrassment. Seven patients (5.5%, 95% CI 4.8–8.7%) who did not seek alternative care but were still having symptoms did not return due to job or family commitments or because they would follow-up with a personal physician. Conclusion: Patients who leave the ED AMA have significant pathology.     

Prevalence of Traumatic Hip and Pelvic Fractures in Patients with Suspected Hip Fracture and Negative Initial Standard Radiographs—A Study of Emergency Department Patients

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hip and pelvic fractures in emergency department (ED) patients with hip pain and negative standard initial radiographs. Methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study at an academic, community‐based ED. ED patients presenting during a one‐year period with hip pain for whom a plain‐film radiograph was obtained were included. Eligible patients were identified by query of electronic records. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance images (MRIs) were ordered at the discretion of the treating physician. Initial plain radiographs were read at the point of care by board‐certified radiologists. MRI images were reviewed by radiologists with fellowship training in musculoskeletal imaging. Structured follow‐up at more than one month postvisit was conducted to rule out a subsequent diagnosis of hip fracture. Ninety‐five‐percent confidence intervals (95% CIs) and kappa (κ) were calculated as appropriate. Results: Seven hundred sixty‐four of 895 patients (85.3%) had follow‐up completed (study group). Within the study group, 219 patients (29%) had evidence of fracture on initial radiographs. Of the 545 patients with negative initial radiographs, 62 patients (11.4%) underwent hip MRI during the ED visit. MRI identified 24 additional patients with hip fractures. Interobserver agreement for the presence of fracture on MRI was very good (κ= 0.847). For patients with negative initial plain radiographs who did not have a hip MRI, follow‐up did not identify any of these patients as having a subsequent diagnosis of fracture. Thus, 24 of 545 (4.4%; 95% CI = 3.0% to 6.5%) patients with negative initial plain radiographs had a hip fracture. Conclusions: In this cohort of ED patients with symptoms suspicious for hip fracture who had negative standard radiographs, the authors found that 4.4% were subsequently diagnosed as having fracture. Further studies are warranted to identify characteristics of patients requiring advanced hip imaging studies.     

Risk factors for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance in patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis

Emerging antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens makes the management of acute uncomplicated cystitis increasingly challenging. Few prospective data are available on the risk factors for resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), the drug of choice in most settings. In order to evaluate this, we prospectively enrolled women 18 to 50 years of age presenting to an urban primary care practice with symptoms of cystitis. Potentially eligible women provided a urine sample for culture and completed a questionnaire regarding putative risk factors for TMP-SMX resistance. Escherichia coli isolates were tested for clonal group A (CGA) membership by a fumC-specific PCR. Of 165 women with cystitis symptoms, 103 had a positive urine culture and were eligible for participation. E. coli was the predominant uropathogen (86%). Fifteen (14.6%) women had a TMP-SMX-resistant (TMP-SMX r) organism (all of which were E. coli). Compared with the women who had a TMP-SMX-susceptible organism, women in the TMP-SMX r group were more likely to have traveled (odds ratio [OR], 15.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4 to 54.3; P < 0.001) and to be Asian (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 36.4; P = 0.048). CGA was also independently associated with TMP-SMX resistance (OR, 105; 95% CI, 6.3 to 1,777.6; P = 0.001). No association with TMP-SMX resistance was demonstrated for the use of either TMP-SMX or another antibiotic in the past 3 months or with having a child in day care. Among these women with acute uncomplicated cystitis, Asian race and recent travel were independently associated with TMP-SMX resistance. TMP-SMX r isolates were more likely to belong to CGA. Knowledge of these risk factors for TMP-SMX resistance could facilitate the accurate selection of empirical therapy.     

连接酶链反应-酶联免疫吸附试验诊断沙眼衣原体感染的初步应用

目的 建立连接酶链反应-酶联免疫吸附试验(LCR-ELISA)检测沙眼衣原体DNA的方法,并初步应用于检测新生儿沙眼衣原体感染。方法 针对沙眼衣原体外膜蛋白基因设计4条引物,并分别在其两端标记地高辛和生物素。用此4条引物进行LCR扩增沙眼衣原体DNA。带有生物素和地高辛双标记的扩增产物以ELISA方法显色判断结果。采集328份肺炎新生儿鼻咽标本,分别对其进行培养和LCR扩增,应用ELISA检测有无沙眼衣原体感染。结果 LCR-ELISA方法可以检测出6种沙眼衣原体标准株,而对2种肺炎衣原体和其他细菌DNA无反应,显示出较强的特异性;可检测出10fg的DNA,较传统电泳法敏感10倍,且避免了溴化乙啶的污染。328份标本中,LCR-ELISA检测出68份阳性,培养仅检测出60份,两者相比差异有显著性。以扩大的金标准判断,LCR-ELISA的特异性、敏感性分别为100％和98.6％;而培养的特异性、敏感性分别为100％和、86.9％。结论LCR-ELISA是一种特异而敏感的基因扩增方法,避免了溴化乙啶污染,判断结果客观,检测方便。经临床初步应用,取得良好结果,值得进一步研究和完善。     

Role of allostatic load in sociodemographic patterns of pain prevalence in the U.S. population

Persistent stressors associated with sociodemographic disadvantage exert a physiologic toll, labeled "allostatic load," that contributes to disparities in some health conditions. We investigated the contribution of allostatic load to pain prevalence in U.S. adults. Interviews with 14,184 adults in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey asked about severe headache, pain that lasted >24 hours, and widespread pain. Ten biomarkers of allostatic load were quantified from blood (glycated hemoglobin), serum (C-reactive protein, homocysteine, cholesterol, triglycerides), urine (creatinine, albumin), and physical measurements (body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Log-binomial regression models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Prevalence ranged from 3.4% for widespread pain to 26.9% for pain >24 hours. After adjustment for demographic characteristics, low income was associated with greater prevalence of pain >24 hours (PR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.49, 1.83), severe headache (PR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.68, 2.50), and widespread pain (PR = 3.67, 95% CI = 2.56, 5.27). Racial/ethnic minorities had lower prevalence of all 3 pain conditions than non-Hispanic whites. While greater allostatic load was associated with elevated prevalence of pain, allostatic load did not meaningfully attenuate PRs associated with income or race/ethnicity. We conclude that greater pain prevalence among low-income groups is not explained by greater allostatic load. PERSPECTIVE: In U.S. adults, pain occurs more frequently in lower-income groups, although the relationship is not attributable to their experience of greater allostatic load. While allostatic load contributes to population variation in pain, other etiologic mechanisms contributing to pain are needed to account for income disparities in pain.     

High Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Women with Urinary Infections

Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with unrecognized sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women who had pelvic examinations and were subsequently released from the ED with a sole diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI).
Methods: A 3-month retrospective chart review was performed in an urban teaching hospital ED (>70,000 visits/year). Women aged 12–45 years who had pelvic examinations and were released from the ED with a sole diagnosis of UTI were included. Patient complaints, physical findings, and laboratory results were reviewed. Laboratory evaluations included the complete blood count, urinalysis, urine pregnancy test, and cervical cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Trichomonas.
Results: Of the 94 women who met study criteria, 53% had proven STDs (19% N. gonorrhoeae 22% C. trachornaris 33% Trichomonas). There was no difference between the patients with positive and negative tests for STDs with regard to complaints, physical findings, and laboratory results (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions: Women undergoing pelvic examinations who are subsequently released, from this urban ED with the diagnosis of UTI have a high (>50%) prevalence of occult STDs. No complaint, physical finding, or laboratory result reviewed was associated with the risk of an STD. Consideration should be given to empirical antibiotic therapy in similar urban populations.