Evidence map›Paper›PMID 11265177›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical pathology2000

Is the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA by ligase chain reaction worth the cost: experiences from an inner London teaching hospital.

N Shetty, M Shemko, J Holton, G M Scott

Open access · bronzeAbstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical pathology, 2000. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 43% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

N ShettyDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, University College London Hospitals and PHLS Collaborating Centre, Cecil Flemming House, Grafton Way, London WC1E 6DB, UK. nandini.shetty@uclh.org
M Shemko
J Holton
G M Scott
University College London · GBRoyal London Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo evaluate the clinical usefulness and the costs of using a rapid, commercial ligase chain reaction test (LCx) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis directly from clinical samples.

methodsA prospective study of 2120 routine clinical specimens from 1161 patients over a 13 month period. Investigations for mycobacterial disease by microscopy, culture, and the Abbott LCx assay were performed. Sequential LCx assays were monitored in a cohort of patients undergoing treatment. The costs of the assay were calculated using the WELCAN system. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the LCx assay were compared with conventional tests. The performance of the assay in patients undergoing treatment and cost in terms of WELCAN units converted to pounds/annum was studied.

resultsThe assay was 85%/88% sensitive and 98%/100% specific in culture confirmed/clinically confirmed cases of tuberculosis, respectively. The assay was not useful for the measurement of treatment outcomes. The test cost approximately 42,500 Pounds/annum.

conclusionsThe assay is a rapid, sensitive, and specific adjunct to clinical diagnosis, especially in differentiating non-tuberculous mycobacteria. However, it does not differentiate old and treated tuberculosis from reactivated disease, it is not useful to monitor adherence to treatment, and it is expensive.

Indexed as

Costs and Cost AnalysisDNA, BacterialFollow-Up StudiesHumansLigase Chain ReactionLondonMycobacterium tuberculosisPredictive Value of TestsProspective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityTreatment OutcomeTuberculosisTuberculosis, PulmonaryUrban HealthDNA, Bacterial

Identifiers

PMID11265177
PMCPMC1731128
OpenAlexW1979187021

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.