History-taking and the Usefulness Index in the diagnosis of functional dyspepsia.

Background: The primary diagnosis of functional dyspepsia (FD) is made on the basis of typical symptoms and by excluding organic gastrointestinal diseases that cause dyspeptic symptoms. However, there is difficulty reaching a diagnosisin FD.

Objectives: To assess the efficiency of the Usefulness Index (UI) test and history-taking in diagnosing FD.

Usefulness index in nonspecific abdominal pain--an aid in the diagnosis?

Objective: In 1990, Lavelle and Kanagaratnam introduced Usefulness Index (UI) test for assessment of usefulness of clinical observations. Although, nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) is the most common diagnosis among secondary care patients with acute abdominal pain, the efficiency of UI test is rarely considered in NSAP.

Methods: In an extension of the World Organisation of Gastro-Enterology Research Committee (OMGE) acute abdominal pain study, 1333 patients presenting with acute abdominal pain were included in the study.

Usefulness of history-taking in non-specific abdominal pain: a prospective study of 1333 patients with acute abdominal pain in Finland.

Background: Nonspecific abdominal pain is the commonest cause of a patient presenting to a doctor with abdominal pain of less than one week's duration. The differential diagnosis of NSAP is not always easy due to many similarities in the clinical presentation at onset and many cases may be misdiagnosed in the initial situation. To the Authors' knowledge, the diagnostic accuracy of history-taking is rarely considered in NSAP, and therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of history-taking to correctly diagnosing NSAP in the clinical situation.

[Update on current care guidelines: urinary tract infections].

This guideline is focused on the diagnostics and treatment of acute, recurrent and relapsing urinary tract infections in adults and children. Sexually transmitted diseases are not addressed, but must be considered in differential diagnostics. The resistance prevalence of the causative microbes and the ecological adverse effects of antimicrobial agents were considered important factors in selecting optimal therapeutic choices for the guideline.

Expression of Ki-67, cyclin D1 and apoptosis markers correlated with survival in prostate cancer patients treated by radical prostatectomy.

Objective: The study was designed to analyse the prognostic value of proliferation markers Ki-67 and cyclin D1 and apoptosis in prostate cancer (PC) patients treated by radical prostatectomy.

Patients And Methods: Two hundred and eleven patients treated by radical prostatectomy for localised prostate cancer were clinically followed up for a mean of 7.3 years.