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At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Human stratum corneum adsorption of nickel salts. Investigation of depth profiles by tape stripping in vivo.

Sequential adhesive tape stripping was implemented to characterize the penetration of nickel salts in human stratum corneum. Exposure areas of the salts in methanol applied open on arm and back skin in low volume were stripped 20 times to the level of the glistening layer at intervals of 30 min to 24 h post-dosing, and the strips analyzed for metal content by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. In the case of nickel chloride, sulfate, nitrate and acetate, material left on the skin surface, the depth-penetration profiles in the stratum corneum, and the dosage unaccounted for suggest the following conclusions: (a) Up to 24 h, most of the nickel dose applied remains on the skin surface or is adsorbed in the uppermost layers of the stratum corneum. (b) At higher concentrations, incomplete material recovery becomes discernible; within 24 h, nickel salts thus appear to penetrate beyond the stratum corneum to a minor degree, possibly via the skin shunts. (c) While the concentration gradients of nickel adsorbed vary with counter ion, anatomical site, dose and exposure time, for all variables tested the depth profiles converge to non-detectable levels (< 20 ppb) towards the level of the glistening layer. A notable exception is nickel as nitrate, for which levels continue at low but constant levels (1% of dose) beyond the third stratum corneum strip, indicative of intercellular diffusion. (d) Differences in material recovered suggest that the stratum corneum on the arm is more penetrable to nickel than stratum corneum on the back. (e) The counter ion in nickel salts plays a major part in their diffusion into the stratum corneum, suggestive of ion pairing. Overall, the data point to all three avenues of skin penetration by nickel: intracellular, intercellular, and transappendageal.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The accuracy of blood glucose testing by children.

While studies have evaluated the accuracy of adult patients and health personnel in reading various glucose oxidase impregnated strips to estimate blood glucose, there are no studies exclusively evaluating the accuracy of children with diabetes reading their own strips as compared to a staff member, and meter to meter variability in reading these strips. We evaluated the accuracy of reading chemstrip bG by children at a summer camp. The children's visual readings of their own strips were compared to the visual reading of a single staff member. A total of 356 Chemstrip bG's were visually read by diabetic children and a single trained staff member at a summer camp for diabetics. The strips were then analyzed by two Accu-Chek bG meters. Intermachine variability was found to be negligible over the entire bG range. For the purposes of this study, we define accurate visual readings as those within +/- 15 percent of the meter reading of a given strip. At low bG values (40-79 mg/dl), accuracy by children and staff is low, with underestimating occurring in 39 percent of staff readings and 57 percent of children's readings. At intermediate bG values (120-239 mg/dl) readings are more accurate, especially when read by the staff, with misreadings occurring in only 16-19 percent of the strips. At high bG values (240-399 mg/dl), accuracy by children is decreased, with underestimation 500 percent more often than staff. We conclude that children are less accurate at reading Chemstrip bG than a trained staff member (51% versus 33% misreading), especially at the upper and lower ranges of bG values when visual readings are least accurate, and the need for therapeutic intervention is the greatest.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[A new test-strip for the detection of hematuria (author's transl)].

The use of a new test strip for hematuria (Sangur-Test) is suggested for ambulatory and clinical practice. It seems to be reliable and sensitive enough to detect minor degrees of pathological amounts of red blood cells in urine (above 5/microliter). No false negative result was recorded in the present series. The concomitant use of Sangur-Test and Hemastix in 28 children with different degrees of hematuria has shown a higher sensitivity in detecting erythrocyturia with the former.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A rapid and simple method for counting crevicular polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

The techniques presently available for counting crevicular polymorphonuclear leucocytes (CPMNs) require special equipment and are only semi-quantitative. The present new and simple method is based on the property that Durapore strips have to harvest a maximum number of crevicular cells and to release them when shaken in a suitable buffer. Durapore strips were inserted into periodontal crevices or pockets, shaken in PBS and the liberated PMNs counted in a Neubauer chamber. The validity of the method was ascertained in 5 experiments. First, it was shown that 90% of the harvested cells were released from Durapore strips after being shaken in buffer. Second, decreasing numbers of CPMNs were found when performing sequential samplings. Third, when counting CPMNs before and after therapy, a significant decrease in the number of cells was found. Fourth, we could confirm that sites with bleeding on probing did contain a much higher number of CPMNs as compared to non-bleeding sites. Finally, our counting technique confirmed that deeper pockets contain a significantly higher number of CPMNs.

Filtration↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical evaluation of taste dysfunction using a salt-impregnated taste strip.

We have used special tests to investigate taste function in detail. To evaluate acuity for a salty taste, we used a paper with salt crystals, Salsave. The procedure is simple and takes only a few minutes. We analyzed the relationships between the magnitude of the threshold of response to this test and the results of other taste function tests in 126 patients who visited our clinic. The mean magnitude of the response to Salsave significantly correlated with the results of other taste tests. Thus, this is a useful method for screening the detection and recognition threshold of a salty taste.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of xylitol chewing gum on salivary Streptococcus mutans in preschool children.

Dental caries remains a significant problem for poor children in the United States. One strategy for treating dental caries is to suppress streptococcus mutans, the chief pathogen responsible for the disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of xylitol gum in salivary S. mutans levels in preschool children. Sixty-one children were randomly assigned into the xylitol group and the control group. The xylitol group chewed gum sweetened only with xylitol (XyliFresh100%, Hershey Food Corporation, U.S.A.) three times a day for three weeks. S. mutans counts were tested using the Dentocult-SM Strip Mutans-test (Orion Diagnostica, Finland) at baseline and after three weeks. The shift from higher S. mutans scores to lower was greater in the xylitol group than in the control group (p;lt0.05). This study supports the suggestion that chewing xylitol gum may reduce salivary S. mutans levels. Xylitol chewing gum may provide a feasible caries prevention method for preschool children.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed1975

Detection of Candida vaginitis by a dipstick method.

A media impregnated polystyrene strip was tested for its ability to detect Candida in vaginal secretions. Of 230 patients with vaginitis, 20 were positive for Candida when the gram stain, routine culture, and Microstix-Candida (M-C) were used. Routine culture alone detected 17 cases, while the M-C alone detected 14 cases. Although this test system should not be used as a primary laboratory diagnostic tool, its use as an office or clinic screening test for vaginal candidiasis is recommended.

Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Presumed autoclave failure due to false-positive spore strip tests.

The sterilizing processes in autoclaves and ethylene oxide sterilizers are challenged on a regular basis with a controlled inoculum of spores from two Bacillus species. Within a two-day period in March 1980, the seven autoclaves at this 550-bed hospital appeared to have failed in their function of killing spores on 18 out of 46 test strips. A shut-down of the autoclaves and a massive investigation failed to identify any mechanical, physical, or human failures. However, after 48 hours, it was found that the broth used as growth medium contained a contaminant, Bacillus coagulans, that resulted in broth turbidity at 55 degree C. Incubating an uninoculated tube of trypticase soy broth (TSB) for quality control at 55 degree C in addition to the usual 37 degree C quality check is a recommended safeguard against such occurrences.

Bacillus↗
PubMed1999

Quality specifications for ordinal scale measurements with multiproperty (multiple) urine test strips.

Analytical quality specifications for ordinal scale measurements have not been presented so far. Criteria are suggested for multiproperty (multiple) urine test strips based on upper limits of healthy reference intervals, analytical performance and statistical tests applicable to ordinal scales. Trueness (accuracy) can be evaluated against an acceptable comparison method by applying sensitivity and specificity concepts, and defining a grey zone with a lower detection limit and an upper confirmation limit. Concordance (agreement) of two or more ordinal scale categories should be evaluated by subtracting random agreement, using Kappa statistics. Repeatability (precision) can be calculated for categorized results using binomial statistics.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMed1992

[Reliability of the Alco-Screen dip strips in evaluation of blood alcohol concentration for clinical or forensic studies].

We tested the accuracy of Alco-Screen dipsticks in comparison to the values of blood alcohol. The dipstick test is based on the reaction of alcohol-dehydrogenase, developing a green to blue color. Saliva as well as urine and liquor are easy to obtain at autopsies. We did not get any false-negative results. Interpretation of the change of color turned out to be a problem, because the tip appeared often to be inhomogenous. The dipstick could be used at autopsies and for emergency units, if a quick, semiquantitative result is required.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2004

The uristatin dipstick is useful in distinguishing upper respiratory from urinary tract infections.

BACKGROUND: We determined the diagnostic value of the trypsin inhibitor, uristatin, that is commonly found in urine and plasma in patients with infections or inflammations of any kind. METHODS: We collected urine specimens from patients with infections of the urinary or upper respiratory tract and from healthy controls. We also collected blood from patients with a likely upper respiratory tract infection and healthy controls. A bacterial count of >10(5) organisms/ml in urine was considered to represent infection rather than contamination. RESULTS: The uristatin dipstick test in urine showed acceptable negative predictive values (NPV of up to 93%) for patients without infection or inflammation. Here, the dipsticks could eliminate some urine cultures. For those with infection or inflammation, the positive predictive values (PPV) of the dipsticks were lower (up to 57%). Including the leukocyte esterase and nitrite values increased the PPV of the dipsticks for those with disease. CONCLUSIONS: The uristatin strip was more accurate than the leukocyte and nitrite dipsticks for predicting upper respiratory infections (URI) and C-reactive protein for those with infection or inflammation. The uristatin dipstick was able to detect both the bikunin and uristatin inhibitors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Diabetic home blood glucose monitoring using a direct reading glucose sensitive test strip.

The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the BM Test Glycemie 20-800. Twelve diabetic patients were studied using the BM Test Glycemie 20-800, compared with one of the commonly available reflectance meters. The correlation coefficient for the BM 20-800 strip versus reference blood glucose result was significantly better than the reflectance meter (p = 0.01). In a separate study, laboratory staff tested both methods and achieved results which were similar to those of the patients using the BM Test Glycemie 20-800, but better than those of the patients using the reflectance meters. The BM Test Glycemie 20-800 is a cheap, reliable and acceptable method for the measurement of blood glucose levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The effect of supragingival plaque on crevicular fluid measurements.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the influence that supragingival plaque may have on the measurement of crevicular fluid flow (CFF) when it is quantified by the use of a filter paper strip and a Periotron 6000 measuring unit. The study involved 51 human subjects from each of whom an experimental tooth was randomly chosen and a CFF measurement recorded. The quantity of crevicular fluid was collected on filter paper strips placed subgingivally at the entrance to the sulcus for 15 seconds. Any supragingival plaque was then removed, following which a second measurement of the CFF was recorded after 5 minutes. Changes in the CFF were correlated with the plaque index at the experimental site and were shown to be significantly affected by the presence as well as the quantity of supragingival plaque. It was demonstrated that measuring the CFF in the presence of supragingival plaque was not reliable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Comparison of two types of dipsticks to measure vaginal pH in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the practical use of two dispsticks for measuring vaginal pH with a range 4-7 (Merck and Macherey Nagel in the diagnosis of vaginal infections. STUDY DESIGN: Routine gynaecological clinic in the General Hospital H Hart in Tienen and vulvo-vaginitis clinic in the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium. After oral consent was obtained, 101 unselected consecutive women presenting for gynaecologic examination between 15 January 2004 and 15 February 2004 were included in an observational study. Vaginal smears were taken from the upper vaginal wall for pH measurement and for fresh wet mount examination by phase contrast microscopy for diagnosing lactobacillary grades and presence of pathogens. The observed color change of two different pH strips were compared with the color scale provided by the company by a junior investigator who was not familiar with the technique, nor with the pathology of the patient. The difficulty of the measurement was scored semi-quantitatively by assessing the time and effort necessary to decide on the correct pH. RESULTS: Using the Macherey-Nagel method, the mean pH score was lower in women with normal flora and in women with vaginal infections than when the Merck method was used, but the difference was not significant. The pH became progressively more abnormal with increasing lactobacillary grades, a correlation that was similar for both tests. The reading of the pH sticks was significantly simpler and quicker with Macherey-Nagel than with Merck. Although difficult readings with Merck strips were four times more frequent in the group of women with abnormal flora than in women with normal flora, this difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: (1) In both tests (Macherey-Nagel and Merck) the pH was more abnormal (higher) with increasing lactobacillary grades (declining number of lactobacillary morphotypes). (2) The Macherey-Nagel sticks are more user-friendly than Merck's.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Urinary trypsinogen-2 test strip for acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: A simple, rapid test is specific and sensitive enough to distinguish, in patients with clinically suspected acute pancreatitis, those whose abdominal pain is indeed of pancreatic origin has proved elusive. METHODS: In two consecutive series of surgical patients in a teaching hospital, whose acute abdominal pain turned out to be due to acute pancreatitis (n-57) or extrapancreatic in origin (n=40), we studied urinary trypsinogen-2 in two ways. A test strip, incorporating monoclonal antibodies to two epitopes on trypsinogen-2, recorded a blue line when concentrations exceeded 50 microgram/L; we also measured trypsinogen-2 concentrations in the laboratory. FINDINGS: In the patients with acute pancreatitis the test strip was positive in 52 and negative in five, whereas in the 40 extrapancreatic controls there were four false positives. In a further set of 57 orthopaedic controls, one urine was strip-test positive. Concentrations of urinary trypsinogen-2 and the test-strip results were in good agreement and in only three of the 154 patients were the two approaches discrepant, at the 50 microgram/L cut-off. INTERPRETATION: These findings, in patients whose acute abdominal pain was known to be pancreatic in origin or not, are encouraging but need to be confirmed in a consecutive series of patients in whom the diagnosis of pancreatitis is in doubt.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1999

Detection of the Plasmodium falciparum antigen histidine-rich protein 2 in blood of pregnant women: implications for diagnosing placental malaria.

Pregnant women have an increased susceptibility to infection by Plasmodium falciparum. Parasites may be present in the placenta yet not detectable in peripheral blood smears by routine light microscopy. In order to determine how frequently misdiagnosis occurs, peripheral blood and placental samples were collected from 1,077 Cameroonian women at the time of giving birth and examined for the presence of malarial parasites by using light microscopy. Results showed that 20.1% of the women who had placental malaria were peripheral blood smear negative. Thus, malarial infection was not detected by microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears from approximately one out of five malaria-infected women. Since P. falciparum parasites secrete histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP-2), we sought to determine if detecting HRP-2 in either peripheral plasma or whole blood might be used to diagnose the presence of parasites "hidden" in the placenta. Samples of peripheral plasma from 127 women with different levels of placental malarial infection were assayed by HRP-2-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HRP-2 was detected in 88% of the women with placental malaria who tested negative by blood smear. Additionally, whole blood was obtained from 181 women and tested for HRP-2 with a rapid, chromatographic strip test (ICT). The ICT test accurately detected malarial infection in 89.1% of P. falciparum-infected women. Furthermore, 94% of women with malaria were accurately diagnosed by using a combination of microscopy and the ICT test. Thus, detection of HRP-2 in conjunction with microscopy should improve diagnosis of malaria in pregnant women.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Clinical assessment of a new glucose reflectance meter (Glucoscot II) for the detection of neonatal hypoglycemias].

Glucoscot II, a new glucose reflectance meter and the corresponding test strip "Glucopat" were evaluated for their accuracy in the detection of neonatal hypoglycemia. In 100 neonatal blood samples of 44 neonates glucose was estimated with the reflectance meter and the results were compared with those from a reference method (Beckman-Glucose-Analyser). Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose of less than 2.2 mmol/l (40 mg/dl). The correlation between the values obtained by the test strip and the reference values was high (= 0.95). Test sensitivity was 100%, specificity 99% and the predictive value for hypoglycemia was 94%. The incidence of a blood sugar less than 2.2 mmol/l in our study population was 15%. Thirteen percent of glucose values determined with the reflectance meter deviated from the reference value by more then 20%. If our data can be confirmed by others we conclude that the Glucoscot II/Glucopat-system can be recommended as screening-test for hypoglycemia in neonates.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1988

[Detection of nephro-urologic changes in infants using reactive strips. Experience at a puericulture practice].

In a group of 1.251 children under two (669 boys and 582 girls) that attended a puericulture office a detection program of urine alterations through reactive strips was carried out (at five and eighteen months). Eight asymptomatic bacteriurias in girls (1.37 per cent) and eight in boys (1.19 per cent) were confirmed. Of them the frequency of uropathies found was of a 37.5 per cent in girls and a 12.5 per cent in boys. Because of the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria, the possible associated nephrourologic alteration and the high cost of the method, we suggest the practice of this detection in primary pediatric offices on children under two.

Child Care↗