Long Exercise Test in Periodic Paralysis: A Bayesian Analysis.

Introduction: The long exercise test (LET) is used to assess the diagnosis of periodic paralysis (PP), but LET methodology and normal "cutoff" values vary.

Methods: To determine optimal LET methodology and cutoffs, we reviewed LET data (abductor digiti minimi motor response amplitude, area) from 55 patients with PP (32 genetically definite) and 125 controls. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed, and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to compare (1) peak-to-nadir versus baseline-to-nadir methodologies and (2) amplitude versus area decrements.

Characteristics of risk in patients of nurse practitioner safety net practices.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the characteristics of vulnerability in patients at safety net practices where nurse practitioners (NPs) provide the majority of the health care and to discuss the implications regarding patient data collection for all NPs who provide safety net care.

Data Sources: Data were collected from patients at four safety net practices: a rural health clinic, a rural nurse-managed health clinic, an urban nurse-managed health clinic, and an urban Indian health clinic.

Conclusions: The users of these practices reflected a significant degree of risk for poor health outcomes based on characteristics of risk identified in the literature.