Clinical Pediatrics

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for free access to the SAGE eReference platform!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mahon, B. E.
Right arrow Articles by Newman, T. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mahon, B. E.
Right arrow Articles by Newman, T. B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 33, No. 3, 142-146 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/000992289403300303

Problems With Serum IgM as a Screening Test for Congenital Infection

Barbara E. Mahon

The Pediatric Residency Program, University of California

Eileen Gayle Yamada

School of Medicine, University of California

Thomas B. Newman

Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics, and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of the total serum IgM level as a screening test for congenital infection in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infants. A retrospective medical record review was performed on 168 infants in whom the serum IgM was measured as a screen for congenital infection. The indications for testing, the yield of testing, and the adequacy of follow-up of abnormal values were examined. Only one infant was diagnosed with a congenital infection which was not specifically suspected prior to screening; this was a case of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV). Inappropriate screening was frequently performed in infants in whom indications for specific evaluation were present. Appropriate follow-up testing was performed in only 30% (seven of 23) of the infants with elevated serum IgM who received their pediatric care at our institution. Because of the low yield (<1%) and lack of follow-up shown in this study, as well as poor sensitivity, serum IgM was not a useful screening test for congenital infection in our institution.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?