Gender differences in the academic and clinical performances of undergraduate nursing students: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Nursing is often regarded as a female-dominated profession. Many nursing curricula are received by mainly female students. It is uncertain how male students behave in this environment of nursing education in hospitals and universities. This article aimed to review gender differences in the academic and clinical performances of undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: A systematic review was assessed and different themes were extracted by inductive approach. DATA SOURCES: A search strategy was carried out for the period 2006-2011 utilising six computerised databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and the Wiley Online Library. REVIEW METHODS: Research studies were included and screened by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. All articles in English that met our aim were selected and relevant results were abstracted and thematised. RESULTS: Fifty-five articles were included. Five themes were generated from the literatures, including the differences of academic, clinical, psychological, nursing profession identity and health concept between male and female nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Both genders performed similarly in different aspects. Most studies revealed that the clinical placement satisfaction of male students was similar to that of female, despite the negative experiences the former faced during obstetric placement. Further research is needed to examine the gender differences in studying and make changes in the nursing curricula to accommodate with male students.

Early prediction of tumor recurrence after curative resection of gastric carcinoma by measuring soluble E-cadherin.

BACKGROUND: Currently, to the authors' knowledge, there is no serum marker to predict disease recurrence after patients undergo curative resection for gastric carcinoma. Previous reports have indicated that serum levels of soluble E-cadherin had prognostic value in these patients. The objective of the current study was to determine whether soluble E-cadherin levels could predict disease recurrence in patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent curative surgery. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients who underwent curative surgery for gastric carcinoma after December 1997 were followed prospectively. Venous blood samples were collected preoperatively, 1 month after surgery, and every 3 months thereafter. The blood samples were assayed for soluble E-cadherin and for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to define a cut-off level of E-cadherin for the optimal sensitivity and specificity for predicting disease recurrence. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 21 months for patients with recurrent disease (n = 17 patients) and 36 months for patients without recurrent disease (n = 52 patients; P = 0.007). The optimal cut-off level of E-cadherin was 10,000 ng/mL. The sensitivity for predicting prediction disease recurrence using this cut-off level at 3 months and at 6 months postsurgery was 47% and 59% respectively, which was significantly better compared with the sensitivity of CEA using the conventional cut-off level (6% at 3 months postsurgery and 6% at 6 months postsurgery; P = 0.004 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The median time between the elevated E-cadherin level and documented disease recurrence was 13 months (range, 3-20 months), compared with 4 months (range, 1-20 months) for CEA. CONCLUSIONS: Serum soluble E-cadherin was a good marker for predicting disease recurrence in the first 3-6 months after surgery, with a median of 13 months before clinical recurrence. The use of this marker may allow time for vigilant surveillance and consideration of adjuvant therapy.

Evaluation of an automated immunochemical fecal occult blood test for colorectal neoplasia detection in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Most commercial fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) used for colorectal carcinoma screening of Western populations are guaiac-based, manually developed, subjective, and sensitive to dietary components. Preliminary studies demonstrated the unsuitability of these tests for screening a Chinese population. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the performance characteristics of a human hemoglobin-specific automated immunochemical FOBT, the Magstream 1000/Hem SP (Fujirebio, Inc., Tokyo, Japan), in a Chinese population referred for colonoscopy. METHODS: Two hundred fifty consecutive patients who were referred for colonoscopy and met the study inclusion criteria provided samples for the immunochemical FOBT (without dietary restrictions) from two successive stool specimens. Tests were developed with an automated instrument that had an adjustable sensitivity threshold. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for detecting colorectal adenomas and carcinomas were calculated according to the manufacturer's instructions over a range of sensitivity levels. RESULTS: At the optimal threshold level, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for detection of significant colorectal neoplasia (adenomas >or= 1.0 cm and carcinomas) were 62%, 93%, and 44%, respectively. The test was easy to use, and results did not depend on operator experience. CONCLUSIONS: The automated immunochemical FOBT used in the current study was a robust, convenient, and useful tool for colorectal carcinoma screening in the study population.

Accuracy of a new near patient test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The performance of existing near patient tests for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori remains unsatisfactory. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of a new near patient test (Signify H. pylori) for the diagnosis of H. pylori and the usefulness of the Signify H. pylori test for a test and treat strategy. METHODS: Consecutive dyspeptic patients referred for upper endoscopy were recruited. Rapid urease test and histology were used as the gold standard. After endoscopy, blood was collected for the Signify H. pylori test and compared with a gold standard. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-four patients were eligible for analysis and 121 (49.5%) were positive for H. pylori. The Signify H. pylori test showed a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 84.3, 89.4%, and 86.9%, respectively, for whole blood and 79.3, 88.6, and 84.0% for serum, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the Signify H. pylori whole blood test was 87.5 and 92.6% for patients less than 45-years-old and the accuracy was similar between patients referred from primary care physicians or gastroenterologists. The test is easy to operate and results are available within 5 min. CONCLUSION: The Signify H. pylori test is accurate for the near patient diagnosis of H. pylori infection.