Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38601900›Full record

ArticleDigital journal of ophthalmology : DJO2024

Improving polymerase chain reaction diagnostic rates for herpes simplex keratitis: results of a pilot study.

Alice L Milligan, Jeremy J Hoffman, Yan Ning Neo, Su-Yin Koay

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Digital journal of ophthalmology : DJO, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 29% 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 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 1 institution in 1 country.

Alice L MilliganCorneal and External Diseases Department and Accident and Emergency Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Jeremy J HoffmanCorneal and External Diseases Department and Accident and Emergency Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Yan Ning NeoCorneal and External Diseases Department and Accident and Emergency Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Su-Yin KoayCorneal and External Diseases Department and Accident and Emergency Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Laboratory confirmation is crucial for diagnosis and management of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis. However, the sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in keratitis is low (25%) compared with that of mucocutaneous disease (75%). We developed an educational intervention aimed at improving the diagnostic yield of PCR. Methods: The medical records of keratitis cases seen at the emergency department of a London tertiary ophthalmic referral hospital over two distinct periods, before and after an educational program on swab technique, were reviewed retrospectively. Results: A total of 252 HSV cases were included. Increases in the laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of HSV-1 were observed, in both first presentations (11.1%-57.7%) and recurrent cases (20%-57.6%). The rate of positive HSV-1 PCR in eyes with an epithelial defect increased from 19% pre-intervention to 62% post intervention. Notably, 3% were positive for varicella zoster virus DNA, and there was a single case of Conclusion: Our results suggest that, with proper swabbing technique, PCR may be more sensitive than previously reported.

Indexed as

Herpes SimplexHerpesvirus 1, HumanKeratitis, HerpeticDNA, ViralHumansPilot ProjectsPolymerase Chain ReactionRetrospective StudiesDNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID38601900
PMCPMC11001569
OpenAlexW4391777296

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.