TY  - JOUR
T1  - UNiversal primer polymerase chain reaction looks promising for newborns with low pretest probability of sepsis—reply
AU  - DeCamp L, Dempsey AF, Tarini BA
Y1  - 2009/07/06
N1  - 10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.122
JO  - Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
SP  - 675
EP  - 676
VL  - 163
IS  - 7
N2  - 
Using test characteristics from Dutta et al,2 Drs Newman and Kohn demonstrate how a negative universal PCR result in an asymptomatic full-term infant translates into a posttest sepsis risk of 1 in 2500. They conclude that such a low risk of sepsis could change treatment in these newborns from empirical antibiotic therapy while awaiting blood culture results to observation without antibiotics. Their conclusion is based on the principle that “whether the result of a test should affect management decisions depends not on the sensitivity or specificity of the test, but on the posttest probability, which in turn depends on the pretest probability.” We agree wholeheartedly with Drs Newman and Kohn with respect to the fundamental importance of pretest probability when assessing the utility of diagnostic tests.

SN  - 1072-4710
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.122
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2009.122
ER  -