Archives of medical research
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Comparative Study
Comparison of three rating scales for measuring subjective phenomena in clinical research. I. Use of experimentally controlled auditory stimuli.
An interest in measuring subjective phenomena such as pain, nausea, anxiety, etc. has led clinicians to develop three types of ratings: the visual analog scale (VAS); the verbal rating scale (VRS), and the numeric rating score (NRS). These ratings are regarded as global scales because they lack criteria to demarcate diverse dimensions or categories that comprise each scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate validity and consistency of usage for these scales. Criterion for validity consisted of an experimentally controlled intensity for auditory stimuli. ⋯ The three instruments appeared reasonably accurate, with VAS having highest scores. VRS appeared sufficiently consistent to be regarded as providing reliable scientific information.
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Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare form of large-vessel, chronic, occlusive vasculitis. It involves mainly aorta and its main branches, causing stenosis and/or obstruction. Its frequency has been estimated at 2.9 cases per 1 million people. ⋯ Doppler ultrasound of neck vessels showed retrograde flow in left vertebral artery during systole. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed 30% stenosis of left subclavian artery with filling of left vertebral artery in retrograde direction. In presenting this case, we carried out a brief review of TA, main features in imaging diagnosis of SSS, and the infrequently reported association of TA with SSS.
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Several studies have shown that serum procalcitonin levels increase conspicuously in acute and systemic inflammatory diseases. However, there is insufficient information concerning its activity in chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. In this study, we aimed to assess serum level of procalcitonin in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and in medical staff at high risk due to close patient contact (high-risk staff). ⋯ This study showed that procalcitonin levels increased both in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and in the staff. This result considered that procalcitonin could be a good indicator of inflammation in patients with chronic diseases and in persons exposed to long-lasting infections.
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Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy agent that has several adverse effects, such as ototoxicity. Evaluation of hearing loss due to cisplatin therapy in children is difficult. The purpose of this study was to compare the validity of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) with pure tone audiometry (PTA) in assessing hearing loss in children under cisplatin therapy. ⋯ DPOAEs represent a highly valuable test for evaluating hearing loss due to cisplatin treatment. DPOAEs is a quick and objective hearing assessment method not requiring much cooperation from children.