Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20712820›Full record

ArticleAddiction (Abingdon, England)2010

Validity of suspected alcohol and drug violations in aviation employees.

Guohua Li, Joanne E Brady, Charles DiMaggio, Susan P Baker, George W Rebok

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2010. 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
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Random drug and alcohol testing for preventing injury in workers.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
    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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Guohua LiDepartment of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. gl2240@columbia.edu
Joanne E Brady
Charles DiMaggio
Susan P Baker
George W Rebok
Columbia University · USJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

Alcohol in Aviation and Motor CarriersR01AA009963 · NIAAA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI LI, GUOHUA · 1999 to 2010
$2.3M
PILOT AGING AND AVIATION SAFETYR01AG013642 · NIA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI LI, GUOHUA · 1997 to 2007
$2.2M
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA009963NIAAA NIH HHS R01AA09963NIA NIH HHS R01 AG013642NIA NIH HHS R01AG13642
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsIn the United States, transportation employees who are suspected of using alcohol and drugs are subject to reasonable-cause testing. This study aims to assess the validity of suspected alcohol and drug violations in aviation employees.

methodsUsing reasonable-cause testing and random testing data from the Federal Aviation Administration for the years 1995-2005, we calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) and positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of suspected alcohol and drug violations. The true status of violations was based on testing results, with an alcohol violation being defined as a blood alcohol concentration of ≥0.04 mg/dl and a drug violation as a test positive for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine or opiates.

resultsDuring the 11-year study period, a total of 2284 alcohol tests and 2015 drug tests were performed under the reasonable-cause testing program. The PPV was 37.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 35.7-39.7%] for suspected alcohol violations and 12.6% (95% CI, 11.2-14.1%) for suspected drug violations. Random testing revealed an overall prevalence of 0.09% for alcohol violations and 0.6% for drug violations. The LR+ was 653.6 (95% CI, 581.7-734.3) for suspected alcohol violations and 22.5 (95% CI, 19.6-25.7) for suspected drug violations.

conclusionThe discriminative power of reasonable-cause testing suggests that, despite its limited positive predictive value, physical and behavioral observation represents an efficient screening method for detecting alcohol and drug violations. The limited positive predictive value of reasonable-cause testing in aviation employees is due in part to the very low prevalence of alcohol and drug violations.

Indexed as

Mandatory ProgramsSubstance Abuse DetectionAccidents, AviationAlcohol DrinkingAviationBreath TestsEthanolHumansPredictive Value of TestsPrevalenceRiskSafetySubstance-Related DisordersUnited StatesEthanol

Identifiers

PMID20712820
PMCPMC3391737
OpenAlexW1521192188

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.