Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23019659›Full record

ArticleSexually transmitted infections2013

The role of physical examination in diagnosing common causes of vaginitis: a prospective study.

Rameet H Singh, Jonathan M Zenilman, Kathryn M Brown, Tessa Madden, Charlotte Gaydos, Khalil G Ghanem

Abstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% 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, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  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

6 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Rameet H SinghDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 105580, 1 UNM, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. RHSingh@salud.unm.edu
Jonathan M Zenilman
Kathryn M Brown
Tessa Madden
Charlotte Gaydos
Khalil G Ghanem
Johns Hopkins Medicine · USJohns Hopkins University · USUniversity of Minnesota · USUniversity of New Mexico · USWashington University in St. Louis · US

Funding

TrainingU54EB007958 · NIBIB · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Susan Anne Tuddenham · 2007 to 2026
$34.6M
HIV Prevention Trials Network: Network LaboratoryU01AI068613 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI ESHLEMAN, SUSAN H · 2006 to 2010
$16.5M
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE CENTERUL1RR031977 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO · PI LARSON, RICHARD S · 2010 to 2011
$8.8M
NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR031977NIAID NIH HHS U-01 AI068613NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI068613NIBIB NIH HHS U-54EB007958NIBIB NIH HHS U54 EB007958
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWe evaluated agreement in diagnoses for bacterial vaginosis (BV), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) between clinicians examining the patient and performing diagnostic tests versus a clinician with access only to the patient's history and diagnostic findings from self-obtained vaginal swabs (SOVS).

designWomen presenting with vaginal discharge to a sexually transmitted infections clinic provided SOVS for evaluation and completed the study and qualitative questionnaires. A clinician then obtained a history and performed speculum and bimanual examinations. Participants' history and diagnostic test results from SOVS were provided to a masked non-examining clinician who rendered independent diagnoses. Overall agreement in diagnoses and κ statistics was calculated.

resultsThe prevalence of infections among the 197 participants was 63.4% (BV), 19% (TV) and 14% (VVC). The per cent agreement between the examining and non-examining clinician for the diagnoses of BV was 68.5%, 90.9% for TV and 91.9% for VVC. Of the 105 women diagnosed with BV by the examining clinician, 34 (32%) were missed by the non-examining clinician. The non-examining clinician missed 13 (48%) of 27 women and 12 (34%) of 35 women treated for VVC and TV, respectively. Four women who all presented with abdominal pain were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease.

conclusionsTests from SOVS and history alone cannot be used to adequately diagnose BV, TV and VVC in women presenting with symptomatic vaginal discharge. Cost benefits from eliminating the speculum examination and using only tests from SOVS may be negated by long-term costs of mistreatment.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCandidiasis, VulvovaginalClinical MedicineCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMedical History TakingMiddle AgedPhysical ExaminationProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesTrichomonas VaginitisVaginosis, BacterialYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID23019659
PMCPMC4104961
OpenAlexW2134896328

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.