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Table 6 Studies comparing cytological examination to quantitative cultures

From: Diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a systematic review of the literature

First author

Sample

Dx tests

Gold standard

Results

Davis, 2005, # [42]

Trauma ICU, 155 pts

Gram (BAL)

CDC + BAL (105)

• Gram (BAL): sens = 88% (any organism).

• Gram (BAL): sens = 73%, spec = 49%, PPV = 78%, NPV = 42%, accuracy = 65% (Gram-negative).

• Gram (BAL): sens = 87%, spec = 59%, PPV = 68%, NPV = 83%, accuracy = 74% (Gram-positive).

Sirvent, 2003, ** [45]

Mixed ICU, 82 pts

ICO

Mini-BAL (103)

• ICO ≥ 2%: sens = 80%, spec = 82%.

• ICO ≥ 2% better than 1, 5, 7 and 10%.

Duflo, 2001, ** [46]

Mixed ICU, 104 pts

Gram stain (mini-BAL)

Mini-BAL (103)

• Gram stain: sens = 76%, spec = 100%, k = 0.73, concordance = 86%.

Mimoz, 2000, ** [50]

Mixed ICU, 134 pts

Gram stain (10 and 50 fields)

PSB (103) or bPTC (103)

• Gram stain (10 fields) vs PSB: sens = 74%, spec = 94%.

• Gram stain (10 fields) vs PTC: sens = 81%, spec = 100%.

• Gram (50 fields): slight increase in spec, decrease in sens

• Morphology and PSB culture: sens = 54%, spec = 86%.

• Morpholgy and bPTC culture: sens = 69%, spec = 89%.

Allaouchiche, 1999, ** [51]

Mixed ICU, 118 pts

ICO (≥ 2%) & Gram stain (BAL)

PSB (103)

• ICO: sens = 86%, spec = 78%, PPV = 68%, NPV = 91%, k = 0.616, concordance 81.5%.

• Gram stain: sens = 90%, spec = 73%, PPV = 64%, NPV = 91%; k = 0.58, concordance 79.4%.

• Correlation between morphology and culture: complete: 51%, partial: 39.%, no correlation: 9.8%.

Allaouchiche, 1996, ** [52]

Mixed ICU, 132 pts

ICO

PSB (103) + clinical evolution

• ICO (≥ 2%): sens = 84%, spec = 80%, PPV = 69%, NPV = 90%, ROC = 0.888.

Torres, 1996, *, ** [25]

Mixed ICU, 25 pts

ICO (≥ 5%), mini-BAL (104) & BAL (104)

Pathology

• ICO (≥ 5%) compared to mini-BAL: PPV = 75%, NPV = 83%.

• ICO (≥ 5%) compared to BAL: PPV = 57%, NPV = 83%.

• Mini-BAL: sens = 22%, spec = 100%.

• BAL: sens = 45%, spec = 55%.

Sole-Violan, 1994, ** [68]

Mixed ICU, 33 pts

ICO (BAL) & BAL (104) & PSB (103)

Clinical ad hoc

• BAL: sens = 87%, spec = 100%.

• PSB: sens = 75%, spec = 100%.

• ICO (>4%): sens = 62%, spec = 100%.

Brasel, 2003, ** [66]

Surgical ICU, 35 pts

ICO 5% & ICO 7%

TA (104) & TA (105)

• ICO 5% and TA (104): sens = 61%, spec = 89%, PPV = 90%, NPV = 59%, ROC = 0.84.

• ICO 5% and TA (105): sens = 85%, spec = 82%, PPV = 70%, NPV = 91%, ROC = 0.89.

• ICO 7% and TA (104): sens = 39%, spec = 97%, PPV = 96%, NPV = 50%, ROC = 0.86.

• ICO 7% and TA (105): sens = 61%, spec = 91%, PPV = 77%, NPV = 82%, ROC = 0.84.

Timsit, 2001, ** [65]

Mixed ICU, 110 pts

BAL-D (1% of infected cells)

BAL (104) & PSB (103)

• BAL-D: sens = 93%, spec = 91%, AUC = 0.953, PPV = 90%, NPV = 98%.

Prekates, 1998, ** [47]

Surgical and Trauma ICU, 75 pts,

Gram stain (BAL)

BAL

• Gram stain: sens = 77%, spec = 87%, PPV = 71%, NPV = 90%.

  1. ICU = intensive care unit; BAL = bronchoalveolar lavage; CDC = center of disease control; sens = sensitivity; spec = specificity; PPV = positive predictive value; NPV = negative predictive value; ICO = intracellular organism; PSB = protected specimen brush; bPTC = blinded protected telescoping catheter; vs = versus; PTC = protected (plugged) telescoping catheter; TA = tracheal aspiration; BAL-D = direct examination of BAL; *retrospective; **consecutive; #convenient.