The relationship between prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, prostate volume and age was examined in 472 men who underwent PSA assay (Hybritech), digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) as part of a community survey of benign prostatic hyperplasia following exclusion of men with prostate cancer. The mean age of the study population was 60 years (range 40-79). The mean PSA was 2.4 ng/ml and 85% of the men had levels < 4 ng/ml. There was a modest correlation between PSA and both age and prostate volume. The mean prostate and adenoma volumes were 32 ml (SD 13.4) and 15 ml (SD 10.7) respectively. Prostate volume increased with age. Linear regression analysis revealed an independent association between PSA and age when controlling for volume. The mean ratio of PSA per unit of prostate volume was 0.072 ng/ml. This ratio also increased with age. Age and prostate volume influences PSA levels independently. The sensitivity and specificity of PSA adjusted for volume and age in the diagnosis of prostate cancer need to be evaluated in association with DRE and TRUS.
A series of 430 men aged 40 to 79 years underwent transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) as part of a community survey of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We describe a reproducible method of prostate volume estimation and discuss the implications of prostate dimension changes in BPH. The mean prostate and adenoma volumes for the group were 32 ml (SD 14) and 15 ml (SD 11) respectively. The antero-posterior dimension of the prostate (APD) had the strongest correlation with gland volume compared with the transverse dimension (TD) and length (L). The mean ratio of adenoma volume to prostate volume was 0.45 (SD 0.13) and this increased with increasing gland volume. There was a modest correlation between the ratio and prostate volume. BPH is characterised by a proportionally greater increase in the APD compared with L and TD and by an increasing adenoma/prostate ratio. TRUS is useful in assessing the type and extent of adenoma and prostate enlargement in BPH.
Since referrals in relation to sickness absence and fitness to continue work constitute an important part of occupational physicians' workloads, a study was carried out to audit this activity. Randomly selected referrals (u = 162) were audited by external peer review in relation to the information provided in the referral request, the consultation records and responses of the occupational physicians, and the response times linking the referral, the consultation and the response. The study showed that the referral record was adequate when specifying or quantifying long-term absences (90% and 84% of relevant cases, respectively) but questions or information regarding other relevant issues were much less frequent, eg only 12% of the referral records provided a description of the job or task. The physicians' response rate was high in relation to likely date of return to work (96%) but lower for other relevant items. In all the issues audited, the frequency of the physicians' responses was higher than the frequency with which the relevant questions were posed to them, thus suggesting 'added value' in the formulation of the problem by the physicians. The response times (often interpreted as a measure of health care quality) did not correlate usefully with the completeness of the responses as determined by peer review audit. Occupational physicians should aspire to achieve a validated standard of assessment and communication which can be audited.
There is a need to develop and test methods of audit of the consultation process in occupational medicine and to draw conclusions from the findings. An external audit was carried out on 313 randomly selected consultation records from the occupational health services of three health boards over a 26-month period. Additionally, nine months after the date of the first externally audited sample, a prospective internal audit was commenced within one board. In 58 of the consultations selected (19 per cent), audit was not possible mainly because records could not be found. In an appreciable proportion of the rest, there were shortcomings in the referral record or in the consultation record. The consultation records of 'career' occupational physicians were better than those of 'non-career' physicians, especially in recording specific diagnoses (91 per cent vs. 67 per cent; P < 0.0001) and in conclusions regarding occupational implications (86 per cent vs. 74 per cent; P < 0.0001). Multivariate regressions showed a highly significant improvement associated with prospective internal audit in one item, namely the record of occupational implications. However, the magnitude of this difference before and after audit was smaller than the independent difference arising from the career status of the physicians. The value of medical audit in improving quality of care and education in occupational medicine is discussed.
The CD4 count has been reported to decline less rapidly in HIV-infected haemophiliacs treated with monoclonally purified factor VIII concentrates than in those using intermediate-purity concentrates. No survival advantage has been demonstrated for this effect, and it is unclear whether this effect occurs with all high-purity concentrates. Two cohorts of patients with severe haemophilia A and HIV treated with either ion-exchange-purified or monoclonally-purified concentrates were compared. The CD4 count, survival, AIDS-defining illnesses, CDC category and anti-retroviral therapy were recorded at 6-monthly intervals for 3 years following the change from intermediate to high-purity factor VIII. 116 patients were recruited, 37 of whom were treated with an ion-exchange purified factor VIII concentrate at three centres, mean (SD) age 31.1 (12.2) years, and 79 were treated with monoclonally purified factor VIII concentrate at two centres, mean (SD) age 29.8 (11.2) years. At the start of the study the median CD4 count was (monoclonal v ion-exchange) 0.30 v 0.16 x 10(9)/l. The CD4 count declined in both arms to a median of (monoclonal v ion-exchange) 0.16 v 0.08 x 10(9)/l at the final visit. Analysis of the (CD4 count)(1/2) over time, using a random coefficients model, found that the mean (SE) rates of decline were not statistically significantly different in the two treatment groups (monoclonal v ion exchange: -0.050 (0.008) v -0.034 (0.011) (CD4 count)(1/2) per year, P = 0.24). No statistically significant difference in survival (log-rank test: P = 0.33) was found. There was no difference in the proportion of individuals experiencing one or more AIDS-defining illnesses (P = 0.32) or in the proportion progressing to CDC category IV (P = 0.28) during the study. The CD4 count declined during the study at a rate similar to that previously reported in patients treated with intermediate-purity factor VIII concentrate, and there was no evidence of any difference between the two treatment groups.
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