Unregistered User If this is not your name, click here.
		Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague
	Select a ChannelAcneAIDS and HIVAllergy OtherAlzheimer'sAnaesthesiology OtherAngina Pectoris/MIAnxietyArthritis OtherAsthmaBack PainBacterial InfectionsBladder CancerBone Marrow TransplantationBreast CancerCardiology OtherCataractCell TransplantationCervical CancerCholesterol/Lipid disordersCirrhosisClinical PharmacologyColorectal CancerCongestive Heart FailureContact DermatitisContraceptionCOPDCystic FibrosisDental and Oral DisordersDepressionDermatology OtherDiabetesDialysisEating DisordersElbowEmergency MedicineEndocrinology OtherEpilepsyErectile DysfunctionFibromyalgiaGastro OtherGeneticsGenitourinary OtherGeriatricsGERD/GastritisGlaucomaH. Pylori/UlcerHaematology OtherHair LossHeadachesHepa/Biliary OtherHepatitisHipHRTHypertensionIBDImmunologyInfectious OtherInfertilityIntensive CareIrritable Bowel SyndromeKneeLeukemiasLiver CancerLung CancerLupusLymphomasMelanomaMenopauseMultiple Sclerosis Nephrology OtherNeurologic OtherNutritional / Metabolic OtherOb/Gyn OtherObesityOncology OtherOphth. OtherOphthalmic SurgeryOrgan TransplantationOrthopaedics OtherOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisOtitisOtorhino. OtherOvarian CancerPaediatricsPainPancreatic CancerParkinson'sPregnancyProstate CancerPsychiatry OtherPulmonary OtherRadiologyRenal CancerRenal FailureRespiratory InfectionsRheumatoid arthritisRheumatology OtherRhinitisSchizophreniaShoulderSleep ApnoeaSleep DisordersSpineStrokeSTDsSurgeryThyroid DisordersTransfusionTransplant Surgery OtherTraumaUrinary IncontinenceUrinary tract infectionsVaccinologyVascular DisordersViral Infections

SEARCH   News Bookstore Medline The Web Meetings & Congresses Complete Doctor's Guide    EXPLORE :    All News   All Webcasts   All Cases   All Meetings & Congresses   All Medical Resources New drugs / indications English Dictionary Medical Dictionary Thesaurus Warning | Privacy | Awards  Favourite Journals  Click here to choose your favourite journals  Favourite Sites  Click here to choose your favourite sites  Languages  Select languageEnglishFrançais

AAFP: Foetal Fibronectin Testing May Reduce Need for Transfer to Tertiary Care Centers By Alison Palkhivala Special to DG News SAN DIEGO, CA -- October 23, 2002 -- The cost of foetal fibronectin testing in community hospitals may be offset by the reduced need to transfer patients to tertiary care hospitals when the test is negative, according to a study presented here last week at the annual meeting of the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP). "Maternal transfer [to tertiary care centers] has been shown to be beneficial in decreasing neonatal morbidity [among preterm infants]," said Davin Lundquist, MD, from the Naval Hospital, in Bremerton, Washington, United States. "Unfortunately, the diagnosis of preterm labour is hard to make due to the high prevalence of preterm labour symptoms in normal pregnancies and to the imprecision of the digital cervical exam." Dr. Lundquist and colleagues performed a longitudinal, observational study on 45 patients who were within 24 and 35 weeks’ gestation and at risk of pre-term labour. They compared the number of pregnant women who were transferred to a tertiary care center during the six months before and the six months after physicians started using the foetal fibronectin test in their center. A positive fibronectin test was defined as a cervicovaginal foetal fibronectin level of at least 50 ng/mL. Patients did not undergo the test if they had vaginal bleeding or a history of sexual intercourse or a vaginal exam in the previous 24 hours. Overall, 45 patients underwent foetal fibrinogen testing during the study period. Among these patients, the negative predictive value of the test was 100 percent at one week and 94 percent at two weeks. After testing was instituted, the average number of maternal transfers to a tertiary care center decreased from nine down to five, and the cost of transfers decreased from $1,820.00 down to $1,275.00, compared with the six months prior to the start of testing. "We observed fewer maternal transfers to tertiary care facilities for preterm labour after the introduction of foetal fibronectin testing at our facility," said Dr. Lundquist. "This study suggests that foetal fibronectin testing can be a valuable resource in the community hospital setting." E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version