Diagnostic evaluations

The results of over 1 year of continuous, on-line acoustic emission (AE) structural surveillance of high temperature / high pressure steam headers, gained on 2 M-scale 600MW supercritical multifuel ENEL power units in normal operation, are presented in the paper. The influence of background noise, the correlation between plant operating conditions (steady load, load variations, startup / shutdown transients) and AE activity and the diagnostic evaluation of recorded AE events are also discussed. 

Finally, preliminary diagnostic evaluation criteria, based on preventive identification of critical areas of interest on the monitored item, spatial concentration of localized AE events as compared with average AE event density and evolution of local event concentration vs time and/or plant parameters, have been worked out and submitted to extensive testing under real operation conditions. Work on this very critical issue is still to be consohdated. 

Refer patients who present with atypical symptoms such as cough, non-allergic asthma, or chest pain to their physician for further diagnostic evaluation. 

Assess patient symptoms to determine if further diagnostic evaluation is necessary. Does the patient have any GERD-related complications such as difficulty swallowing, painful swallowing, or unexplained weight loss ... 

Because patients often present with nonspecific GI symptoms, initial diagnostic evaluation includes methods to characterize the disease and rule out other potential etiologies. This may include stool cultures to examine for infectious causes of diarrhea. 

TABLE 50-2. Items Which Should Be Addressed During Diagnostic Evaluation of Urinary Incontinence (Ul)... 

Assess the patient s symptoms to determine if empirical care is appropriate or whether diagnostic evaluation is warranted. Determine the timing of injury (if applicable), duration of pain, type and degree of pain, and exacerbating factors. Determine if the musculoskeletal disorder interferes with usual activities or range of motion. 

Discuss the appropriate diagnostic evaluation to determine anemia type and guide therapeutic decisions. 

DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF POWER FADE PHENOMENA AND CALENDAR LIFE REDUCTION IN HIGH-POWER LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES... 

Further diagnostic evaluation should be performed in those who do not respond to therapy, who present with alarm symptoms (e.g., dysphagia, weight loss), or who have long-standing GERD symptoms. 

Common causes of insomnia are shown in Table 72-2. In patients with chronic disturbances, a diagnostic evaluation includes physical and mental status examinations, routine laboratory tests, and medication and substance abuse histories. 

There are several different kinds of laboratory safety data that require interpretation. These include routine screening for study subject selection, diagnostic evaluation of the subject, identification of risk factors, monitoring the progress of the disease or treatment, detection of adverse reactions, determination of appropriate dosages for certain at-risk subject groups (e.g. those with renal impairment). 

McLellan, A.T., Luborsky, L., Woody, G.E., O Brien, C.P. An improved diagnostic evaluation instrument for substance abuse patients. The Addiction Se erity Index. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 168(1), 26-33, 1980. 

Wit JM et al Idiopathic short stature definition, epidemiology, and diagnostic evaluation. Growth Horm IGF Res 2008 18 89. [PMID 18182313]... 

Acylcarnitine analysis was first performed in urine specimens in the evaluation of patients with organic acidemias. However, because it was found that acylcarnitine analysis of plasma is more informative for the diagnosis of FAO disorders than analysis of urine specimens, plasma has become the preferred specimen [17]. It is only recently that it was shown that urine acylcarnitine analysis still has a role in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with organic acidurias but uninformative or borderline abnormal results of plasma acylcarnitine and urine organic acid analysis [18-21]. In our laboratory, sample preparation and analysis is identical to that of plasma once a urine aliquot has been prepared that is based on the creatinine concentration. 

Larsen PR, Davies TF, Schlumberger MJ, Hay ID. Thyroid physiology and diagnostic evaluation of patients with thyroid disorders. In Larsen PR, et al, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 10th ed. Philadelphia WB Saunders 2003. 

Di Palma S, Collins N, Faulkes C, Ping B, Ferns G, Haagsma B, et al. Chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH) should be an accepted method in the routine diagnostic evaluation of HER2 status in breast cancer. J Clin Pathol 2007 60(9) 1067-8. 

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