Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyHow well does self-reported adherence fare compared to therapeutic drug monitoring in HAART?
The aim of the study was to determine how well self-reported adherence fares compared to therapeutic drug monitoring in monitoring HAART adherence. ⋯ Self-reported adherence is a surprisingly accurate instrument for measuring HAART adherence compared to TDM and can be reliably used in practice in resource-poor settings.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2013
Do older people with visual impairment and living alone in a rural developing country report greater difficulty in managing stairs?
Managing stairs is a challenging activity of daily living (ADL) for older people. This study aims to examine the association between visual impairment and difficulty in managing stairs among older people living alone and those living with others. ⋯ In a sample of older people aged 60 years and over, those living alone with visual impairment had greater difficulty in managing stairs than those living with others. Identification of these groups of older people is useful for targeting interventions.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2013
Correlates between risk perceptions of cervical cancer and screening practice.
To identify the correlates between risk perceptions and cervical cancer screening among urban Malaysian women. ⋯ Eliminating anecdotal beliefs as risks via targeted knowledge on established risk factors and culturally sensitive screening processes are strategic for increasing and sustaining uptake of Pap smear screening versus current opportunistic screening practices.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2013
Testing the agreement of medical instruments: overestimation of bias in the Bland-Altman analysis.
The Bland-Altman method is the most popular method used to assess the agreement of medical instruments. The main concern about this method is the presence of proportional bias. The slope of the regression line fitted to the Bland-Altman plot should be tested to exclude proportional bias. The aim of this study was to determine whether the overestimation of bias in the Bland-Altman analysis is still present even when the proportional bias has been excluded. ⋯ Testing the slope of regression line of the Bland-Altman plot does not remove the artifactual bias in the prediction.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2013
Observational StudyRisk factors for infection/colonization caused by resistant Gram negative bacilli in critically ill patients (an observational study of 1633 critically ill patients).
The objective of this study is to identify risk factors associated with multi-resistant Gram negative (RGNB) infection and colonization among critically ill patients. ⋯ The major risk factors identified for RGNB infection and colonization in the ICU were mainly patient dependent. However, broad spectrum initial antibiotic treatment remains an important independent modifiable risk factor. Interventions aimed at reducing initial broad spectrum antibiotics are clearly needed to help control the spread of these difficult to treat infections.