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Biomedical subjects

A Hoberman

Publications and source records attributed to A Hoberman.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Intra- and interobserver variability in interpretation of DMSA scans using a set of standardized criteria.

A set of criteria was developed to standardize assessment of DMSA renal scintigraphy which were performed to evaluate children for acute pyelonephritis and renal scarring. This study was undertaken to assess intra- and interobserver variability in the interpretation of DMSA renal scintigraphy using these criteria. Renal contours and parenchyma were assessed in three zones. Contours were assessed as normal or abnormal and parenchymal defects were evaluated in terms of character, shape and degree in three regions (upper and lower pole and midzone). Two nuclear medicine physicians blindly reviewed 57 DMSA scintigraphy on two occasions each. Disagreement of each observer's evaluation of the same scintigraphy on two different occasions was described as intraobserver variability, and the comparison between readings by each of the two observers was described as interobserver variability. High levels of intra- (95.9% and 90.6% respectively, p < 0.05) and interobserver agreement (84.4%, p < 0.05) were demonstrated. There were minor differences in inconsistencies between the two kidneys or different kidney zones. We conclude that standardization of criteria resulted in higher intra- and interobserver consistency in interpretation of DMSA scintigraphy.

Acute Disease↗

Prevalence of urinary tract infection in febrile infants.

Urinary tract infection (UTI), a relatively common cause of fever in infancy, usually consists of pyelonephritis and may cause permanent renal damage. This study assessed (1) the prevalence of UTI in febrile infants (temperature > or = 38.3 degrees C) with differing demographic and clinical characteristics and (2) the usefulness of urinalysis in diagnosing UTI. We diagnosed UTI in 50 (5.3%) of 945 febrile infants if we found > or = 10,000 colony-forming units of a single pathogen per milliliter in a urine specimen obtained by catheterization. Prevalences were similar in (1) infants aged < or = 2 months undergoing examination for sepsis (4.6%), (2) infants aged > 2 months in whom UTI was suspected, usually because no source of fever was apparent (5.9%), and (3) infants with no suspected UTI, most of whom had other illnesses (5.1%). Female and white infants had significantly more UTIs, respectively, than male and black infants. In all, 17% of white female infants with temperature > or = 39 degrees C had UTI, significantly more (p < 0.05) than any other grouping of infants by sex, race, and temperature. Febrile infants with no apparent source of fever were twice as likely to have UTI (7.5%) as those with a possible source of fever such as otitis media (3.5%) (p = 0.02). Only 1 (1.6%) of 62 subjects with an unequivocal source of fever, such as meningitis, had UTI. As indicators of UTI, pyuria and bacteriuria had sensitivities of 54% and 86% and specificities of 96% and 63%, respectively. In infants with fever, clinicians should consider UTI a potential source and consider a urine culture as part of the diagnostic evaluation.

Bacteria↗