| 1. |
- Clarin, M., et al.
(författare)
-
Detection of subarachnoid haemorrhage with spectrophotometry of cerebrospinal fluid - a comparison of two methods
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1434-6621 .- 1437-4331. ; 60:7, s. 1053-1057
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives Spectrophotometric absorption curve analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for oxyhaemoglobin and bilirubin is necessary to accurately diagnose subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in patients with typical symptoms but with negative findings on X-ray examinations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of two methods for interpreting absorption curves; one method from the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK-NEQAS) and the other from the national quality assurance programme in Sweden (Equalis). Methods Consecutive absorbance curves (n=336) were interpreted with two different methods, and their performance was compared to the diagnosis as stated in the patient records. Results The UK-NEQAS method displayed equal sensitivity to the Equalis method, but the specificity of the UK-NEQAS method was significantly higher than the Equalis method resulting in fewer false positive results. For UK-NEQAS, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84.6% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.7% were observed, whereas the Equalis method had a PPV of 27.5% and an NPV of 99.7%. Conclusions The semi-automated method based on the guidelines from UK-NEQAS provides an efficient and correct interpretation of absorbance curves with short turn-around times. We propose using this method for the routine interpretation of CSF spectrophotometric curves.
|
|
| 2. |
- Cronberg, Olof, et al.
(författare)
-
Diagnosis-linked antibiotic prescribing in Swedish primary care : a comparison between in-hours and out-of-hours
- 2020
-
Ingår i: BMC Infectious Diseases. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2334. ; 20:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The rise in antibiotic resistance is a global public health concern, and antibiotic overuse needs to be reduced. Earlier studies of out-of-hours care have indicated that antibiotic prescribing is less appropriate than that of in-hours care. However, no study has compared the out-of-hours treatment of infections to in-hours treatment within the same population.Methods: This retrospective, descriptive study was based on data retrieved from the Kronoberg Infection Database in Primary Care (KIDPC), which consists of all visits to primary care with an infection diagnosis or prescription of antibiotics during 2006-2014. The purpose was to study the trends in antibiotic prescribing and to compare consultations and prescriptions between in-hours and out-of-hours.Results: The visit rate for all infections was 434 visits per 1000 inhabitants per year. The visit rate was stable during the study period, but the antibiotic prescribing rate decreased from 266 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants in 2006 to 194 prescriptions in 2014 (mean annual change - 8.5 [95% CI - 11.9 to - 5.2]). For the out-of-hours visits (12% of the total visits), a similar reduction in antibiotic prescribing was seen. The decrease was most apparent among children and in respiratory tract infections. When antibiotic prescribing during out-of-hours was compared to in-hours, the unadjusted relative risk of antibiotic prescribing was 1.37 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.38), but when adjusted for age, sex, and diagnosis, the relative risk of antibiotic prescribing was 1.09 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.10). The reduction after adjustment was largely explained by a higher visit rate during out-of-hours for infections requiring antibiotics (acute otitis media, pharyngotonsillitis, and lower urinary tract infection). The choices of antibiotics used for common diagnoses were similar.Conclusions: Although the infection visit rate was unchanged over the study period, there was a significant reduction in antibiotic prescribing, especially to children and for respiratory tract infections. The higher antibiotic prescribing rate during out-of-hours was small when adjusted for age, sex, and diagnosis. No excess prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics was seen. Therefore, interventions selectively aiming at out-of-hours centres seem to be unmotivated in a low-prescribing context.
|
|
| 3. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Bilirubin and UGT1A1*28 are not associated with lower risk for ischemic stroke in a prospective nested case-referent setting
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Cerebrovascular Diseases. - : S. Karger. - 1015-9770 .- 1421-9786. ; 30:6, s. 590-596
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Bilirubin, an antioxidant, has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. A major cause of elevated plasma bilirubin is the common UGT1A1*28 promoter polymorphism in the gene of the bilirubin-conjugating enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase-1A1, which reduces transcription by 70%. Earlier studies reporting a protective effect of bilirubin on stroke, have not included analysis of UGT1A1*28. The purpose of this study is to investigate if bilirubin and UGT1A1*28 are protective against ischemic stroke in a prospective case-referent setting.Methods: Cases with first-ever ischemic stroke (n=231; median lag time 4.9 years), and 462 matched referents from the The Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study Cohort were included. Plasma bilirubin was measured and UGT1A1*28 was analyzed by fragment analysis.Results: Plasma bilirubin was lower in cases than in referents, but the difference reached significance only for women. The UGT1A1*28 polymorphism (allele frequency 30%), showed a strong gene-dose relationship with bilirubin levels both among cases and referents, but was not associated with risk for stroke. Among multiple other variables analysed the strongest correlation with bilirubin was found for plasma iron.Conclusions: There was no evidence for a protective effect of the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism against stroke and consequently neither for bilirubin. The findings suggest that other factors influencing the risk for stroke also might affect bilirubin levels.
|
|
| 4. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Evaluation of urine dipsticks for quality control of residual erythrocytes and leukocytes in leukocyte-depleted donor plasma
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5513 .- 1502-7686. ; 80:1, s. 39-45
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Currently used methodologies for quality control of residual leukocytes and erythrocytes in leukocyte-depleted plasma are either expensive or time-consuming. It has been proposed that urine dipsticks could be used as a screening method for residual erythrocytes. The aim was, therefore, to evaluate if urine dipsticks could be used to detect residual erythrocytes and also residual leukocytes in leukocyte-depleted plasma. Dilution series ranging over the decision limits for residual erythrocytes and leukocytes were prepared. Positive, negative and overall agreements, as well as the precision and joint frequency distributions, were calculated for five dipstick analyzers and their corresponding dipsticks. Twenty-four consecutive leukocyte-depleted donor plasma samples were also tested. None of the dipstick analyzers had both a high positive and a high negative agreement. Accordingly, none of the analyzers were able to discriminate between cell concentrations close to the decision limits. The inconsistency count revealed differences in precision between the dipstick analyzers. In the 24 consecutive donor samples, no significant correlation between the dipstick analyzers and the reference methods were found. In conclusion, urine dipsticks are not suitable for quality control of residual leukocytes and erythrocytes in leukocyte-depleted donor plasma.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Introduction of Cost Display Reduces Laboratory Test Utilization
- 2018
-
Ingår i: American Journal of Managed Care. - : Managed Care & Healthcare Communications LLC.. - 1088-0224 .- 1936-2692. ; 24:5, s. E164-E169
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To study the effects on the number of laboratory tests ordered after introduction of cost display (showing the cost in the computerized test ordering system at test ordering and test result delivery) and cost charge (requiring all primary healthcare centers to pay full laboratory costs of the ordered tests).Study design: The study included cost display for secondary healthcare centers (inpatient hospitals, emergency departments, and outpatient specialist providers) as well as publicly and privately operated primary healthcare centers (sites of nonemergency, nonspecialist healthcare). After 3 months cost charge was introduced by management for all primary healthcare centers.Methods: Information on laboratory test name in the test ordering system, resulting in cost display both at the moment of test ordering and at the presentation of the test result. Numbers of laboratory tests were obtained from the laboratory information system and calculated as tests per physician visit. Cost charge was managed through the established laboratory invoicing system.Results: In the publicly operated primary healthcare centers, neither if the interventions had any effect on laboratory test volume, nor did cost display have an effect in the privately operated primary healthcare centers. However, introduction of cost charge significantly decreased laboratory test ordering in the privately operated primary healthcare centers.In contrast, secondary healthcare centers lowered test volumes when cost display was introduced.Conclusions: The results support cost awareness and cost charge as means of reducing laboratory utilization. However, the outcome varies with the setting.
|
|
| 7. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Iron stores and HFE genotypes are not related to increased risk of first-time myocardial infarction : a prospective nested case-referent study
- 2011
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 150:2, s. 169-172
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Our objectives were to study the relationship between iron stores, HFE genotypes and the risk for first-ever myocardial infarction. Methods: First-ever myocardial infarction cases (n=618) and double matched referents from the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Cohort Study were studied in a prospective nested case-referent setting. Plasma iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin iron saturation and ferritin were analyzed, as well as several confounders. HFE C282Y and H63D genotypes were determined. Results: There was an inverse risk association for myocardial infarction in the highest quartiles of iron (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.48-0.96) and transferrin iron saturation (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42-0.89) in men. This association, however, was lost after adjusting for C-reactive protein. Women homozygous for H63D had a higher risk for myocardial infarction. Conclusions: No risk association between high iron stores and first-ever myocardial infarction was found. The higher risk in female H63D homozygotes is probably not related to iron metabolism.
|
|
| 8. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Iron stores and HFE genotypes are not related to increased risk of ischemic stroke. : a prospective nested case-referent study
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Cerebrovascular Diseases. - : S. Karger AG. - 1015-9770 .- 1421-9786. ; 24:5, s. 405-411
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: High iron levels can increase the formation of noxious oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this prospective study was to determine if iron status and HFE genotypes constitute risk factors for stroke. Methods: First-ever stroke cases (231 ischemic and 42 hemorrhagic) and matched double referents from the population-based Northern Sweden cohorts were studied in a nested case-referent setting. Results: For total iron binding capacity, an increased risk of ischemic stroke was seen in the highest quartile (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.14-2.83; p for trend 0.012). The highest quartile of transferrin iron saturation showed a decreased risk of ischemic stroke in men (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.22-0.87; p for trend 0.028), but not in women. There was an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in the second (OR 4.07; 95% CI 1.09-15.20) and third quartile (OR 4.22; 95% CI 1.08-16.42) of ferritin. Neither quartiles of plasma iron concentrations nor the HFE C282Y and H63D genotypes were associated with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions: Iron stores were not positively related to increased risk of ischemic stroke. Furthermore, HFE genotypes did not influence the risk of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.
|
|
| 9. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-
(författare)
-
Oxidants and antioxidants in cardiovascular disease
- 2010
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction and stroke, are the main reason of death in Sweden and Western Europe. High iron stores are believed to produce oxygen radicals, which is the presumed putative mechanism behind lipid peroxidation, atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease. Iron levels are associated with the hemochromatosis associated HFE single nucleotide polymorphisms C282Y and H63D. Bilirubin is an antioxidant present in relatively high levels in the human body. Several previous studies have found an association between high bilirubin levels and a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Bilirubin levels are highly influenced by the common promoter polymorphism TA-insertion UGT1A1*28, the main reason for benign hyperbilirubinemia in Caucasians. There is a lack of prospective studies on both the association of iron and bilirubin levels, and the risk for myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Material and methods Iron, transferrin iron saturation, TIBC, ferritin and bilirubin were analyzed and HFE C282Y, HFE H63D and UGT1A1*28 were determined in myocardial infarction and stroke cases, and their double matched referents within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study Cohort. Results There were no associations between iron levels in the upper normal range and risk for myocardial infarction or stroke. No associations were seen for HFE-genotypes, except for a near fivefold increase in risk for myocardial infarction in HFE H63D homozygous women. Plasma bilirubin was lower in cases vs. referents both in the myocardial infarction and the stroke cohort. Despite a strong gene-dosage effect on bilirubin levels in both cases and referents, the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism did not influence the risk for myocardial infarction or stroke. Conclusion High iron stores are not associated with increased risk for neither myocardial infarction, nor stroke. There was no association between UGT1A1*28 and the risk for myocardial infarction or stroke. Consequently data suggests that other factors, which also may lower bilirubin, are responsible for the elevated risk observed in conjunction with lower bilirubin levels.
|
|
| 10. |
- Ekblom, Kim, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
-
Plasma Bilirubin and UGT1A1*28 Are Not Protective Factors Against First-Time Myocardial Infarction in a Prospective, Nested Case–Referent Setting
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Circulation. - Philadelphia, PA : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 1942-325X .- 1942-3268. ; :3, s. 340-347
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Bilirubin, an effective antioxidant, shows a large variation in levels between individuals and has been positively associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. A major reason for the variability is a common promoter polymorphism, UGT1A1*28, which reduces the transcription of the enzyme that conjugates bilirubin, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1. The aim of the study was to evaluate a possible protective effect of plasma bilirubin and the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism against myocardial infarction in a prospective case-referent setting.Methods and Results: 618 subjects with a first-ever myocardial infarction (median event age 60.5 years, median lag time 3.5 years) and 1184 matched referents were studied. Plasma bilirubin was lower in cases vs. referents. Despite a strong gene-dosage effect on bilirubin levels in both cases and referents, the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism did not influence the risk of myocardial infarction. Among multiple other variables, serum iron showed one of the strongest associations with bilirubin levels.Conclusion: We found no evidence for a protective effect of the UGT1A1*28 polymorphism against myocardial infarction and consequently neither for bilirubin. The lower bilirubin levels in cases might be caused by decreased production, increased degradation or increased elimination.
|
|
