Test characteristics of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), repeated FAST, and clinical exam in prediction of intra-abdominal injury in children with blunt trauma
PEDIATRIC SURGERY INTERNATIONAL
Authors: Bahrami-Motlagh, Hooman; Hajijoo, Fatemeh; Mirghorbani, Masoud; SalevatiPour, Babak; Haghighimorad, Maryam
Abstract
Purpose In children with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT), focused assessment of sonography in trauma (FAST) has been reported with low sensitivity, on the whole, in the detection of intra-abdominal injuries (IAI). The aim of the present study was to assess test characteristics of FAST using different strategies including repeated FAST (reFAST), and physical exam findings. Methods This retrospective study evaluated BAT pediatric patients with stable hemodynamics who underwent computed tomography (CT). Demographic data, initial physical examination, and results of FAST, reFAST (if done), and CT imaging were recorded. Different strategies of FAST were cross-tabulated with CT as the gold standard and test characteristics including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were interpreted. Results 129 patients with a mean age of 8.6 +/- 4.7 were studied and 74% were male. Comparing CT-positive and -negative groups, from the demographic and clinical findings, only positive physical exam (tenderness or ecchymosis) was significantly higher in the CT-positive group (59% vs. 17%;p < 0.01). In a multivariate analysis, positive FAST modality and clinical exam remained independent predictors for a positive CT result (likelihood ratios of 34.6 and 6.4, respectively). Out of the different diagnostic strategies for the prediction of IAI, the best overall performance resulted from the FAST-reFAST-tenderness protocol with sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 87%, 77%, 70%, 91%, and 81%. Conclusion For children with blunt abdominal trauma, physical examination plus FAST and reFAST as needed, seems to have reasonable sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in detecting intra-abdominal injuries and may reduce the need for CT scans.
Can random bladder biopsies be eliminated after bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy against carcinoma in situ?
INTERNATIONAL UROLOGY AND NEPHROLOGY
Authors: Takamatsu, Kimiharu; Matsumoto, Kazuhiro; Kikuchi, Eiji; Ogihara, Koichiro; Hayakawa, Nozomi; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Takeda, Toshikazu; Morita, Shinya; Kosaka, Takeo; Mizuno, Ryuichi; Asanuma, Hiroshi; Mikami, Shuji; Oyama, Masafumi; Oya, Mototsugu
Abstract
Purpose Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the standard of care for bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS). The response to BCG therapy against CIS is generally assessed by random bladder biopsy (RBB). In this study, we examined the necessity of routine RBB after BCG therapy. Methods We retrospectively identified 102 patients who were initially diagnosed with CIS with or without papillary tumor and received subsequent 6-8-week BCG therapy. Thereafter, all patients underwent voiding cytology analysis, cystoscopy, and RBB to evaluate the effects of BCG therapy. We evaluated the association between clinical parameters (voiding cytology and cystoscopy findings) and the final pathological results by RBB specimens. Results According to the pathological results of RBB, 30 (29%) patients had BCG-unresponsive disease (remaining urothelial carcinoma was confirmed pathologically) and 20 were diagnosed with CIS. Positive/suspicious voiding cytology and positive cystoscopy findings were well observed in patients who had BCG-unresponsive disease compared with their counterparts (p = 0.116, andp < 0.001, respectively). The sensitivity (Sen.), specificity (Spe.), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of voiding cytology were 50%, 68%, 39%, and 77%, respectively. The values for cystoscopy findings were as follows: Sen.: 87%, Spe.: 57%, PPV: 46%, and NPV: 91%. The values for their combination (having either of them) were as follows: Sen.: 100%, Spe.: 44%, PPV: 43%, and NPV: 100%. Conclusion RBB after BCG therapy for patients with negative voiding cytology and negative cystoscopy may be omitted because their risk of BCG-unresponsive disease is significantly low (NPV: 100%).