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Detection of subarachnoid haemorrhage with spectrophotometry of cerebrospinal fluid- A comparison of two methods

Clarin, Marcus ; Petersson, Annika LU ; Zetterberg, Henrik LU and Ekblom, Kim LU (2022) In Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine 60(7). p.1053-1057
Abstract

Objectives: Spectrophotometric absorption curve analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for oxyhaemoglobin and bilirubin is necessary to accurately diagnose subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in patients with typical symptoms but with negative findings on X-ray examinations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of two methods for interpreting absorption curves; one method from the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK-NEQAS) and the other from the national quality assurance programme in Sweden (Equalis). Methods: Consecutive absorbance curves (n=336) were interpreted with two different methods, and their performance was compared to the diagnosis as stated in the patient records. Results: The UK-NEQAS method... (More)

Objectives: Spectrophotometric absorption curve analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for oxyhaemoglobin and bilirubin is necessary to accurately diagnose subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in patients with typical symptoms but with negative findings on X-ray examinations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of two methods for interpreting absorption curves; one method from the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK-NEQAS) and the other from the national quality assurance programme in Sweden (Equalis). Methods: Consecutive absorbance curves (n=336) were interpreted with two different methods, and their performance was compared to the diagnosis as stated in the patient records. Results: The UK-NEQAS method displayed equal sensitivity to the Equalis method, but the specificity of the UK-NEQAS method was significantly higher than the Equalis method resulting in fewer false positive results. For UK-NEQAS, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84.6% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.7% were observed, whereas the Equalis method had a PPV of 27.5% and an NPV of 99.7%. Conclusions: The semi-automated method based on the guidelines from UK-NEQAS provides an efficient and correct interpretation of absorbance curves with short turn-around times. We propose using this method for the routine interpretation of CSF spectrophotometric curves.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
absorptiometry, cerebrospinal fluid, spectrophotometry, subarachnoid haemorrhage
in
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
volume
60
issue
7
pages
1053 - 1057
publisher
De Gruyter
external identifiers
  • pmid:35420000
  • scopus:85129058829
ISSN
1434-6621
DOI
10.1515/cclm-2021-1320
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Marcus Clarin et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.
id
7333c128-a476-4358-b129-08a6f909da98
date added to LUP
2026-02-17 14:15:58
date last changed
2026-02-18 07:41:14
@article{7333c128-a476-4358-b129-08a6f909da98,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: Spectrophotometric absorption curve analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for oxyhaemoglobin and bilirubin is necessary to accurately diagnose subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in patients with typical symptoms but with negative findings on X-ray examinations. In this study, we evaluated the performance of two methods for interpreting absorption curves; one method from the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK-NEQAS) and the other from the national quality assurance programme in Sweden (Equalis). Methods: Consecutive absorbance curves (n=336) were interpreted with two different methods, and their performance was compared to the diagnosis as stated in the patient records. Results: The UK-NEQAS method displayed equal sensitivity to the Equalis method, but the specificity of the UK-NEQAS method was significantly higher than the Equalis method resulting in fewer false positive results. For UK-NEQAS, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 84.6% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.7% were observed, whereas the Equalis method had a PPV of 27.5% and an NPV of 99.7%. Conclusions: The semi-automated method based on the guidelines from UK-NEQAS provides an efficient and correct interpretation of absorbance curves with short turn-around times. We propose using this method for the routine interpretation of CSF spectrophotometric curves.</p>}},
  author       = {{Clarin, Marcus and Petersson, Annika and Zetterberg, Henrik and Ekblom, Kim}},
  issn         = {{1434-6621}},
  keywords     = {{absorptiometry; cerebrospinal fluid; spectrophotometry; subarachnoid haemorrhage}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{1053--1057}},
  publisher    = {{De Gruyter}},
  series       = {{Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine}},
  title        = {{Detection of subarachnoid haemorrhage with spectrophotometry of cerebrospinal fluid- A comparison of two methods}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2021-1320}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/cclm-2021-1320}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}