جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "ارزش تشخیصی" در نشریات گروه "پزشکی"

Considering the importance of early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy to prevent its complications and mortality, the present study was conducted with aim to determine the diagnostic value of transvaginal ultrasonography in the evaluation of ectopic pregnancy with β-hCG levels lower than 1000 mIU/ml.

This prospective study was conducted in 2020-2021 to determine the diagnostic value of transvaginal sonography in the evaluation of ectopic pregnancy in women referred to the clinic or department of gynecology in Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman. The inclusion criteria were the presence of one or more of the triad symptoms of ectopic pregnancy, i.e. abdominal or pelvic pain, amenorrhea and unusual vaginal bleeding, and serum β-hCG level less than 1000 mIU/mL. If no intrauterine gestational sac was seen and a mass indicative of ectopic pregnancy was found, or if no intrauterine gestational sac was seen without other findings outside the uterus, patients were followed up by measuring serum β-hCG levels every 48 hours until a definitive diagnosis was made. Data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software (version 22). P<0.05 was considered significant.

The mean gestational age in individuals with a correct diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was 5.91±1.48 weeks. The sensitivity and specificity of transvaginal ultrasound were 50% and 66%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were measured as 78.26% and 35.71%, respectively.

In the present study, the sensitivity and specificity of transvaginal ultrasound in diagnosing ectopic pregnancy at β-hCG levels less than 1000 mIU/ml were reported as 50% and 66%, respectively. As a result, efforts to find a more accurate diagnostic method for early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy are still needed.

The injuries of hollow organs are less known than the injuries of solid organs and delay in their diagnosis can increase mortality and complications in patients. The diagnostic value of CT scan in hollow organ damage has been less investigated. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the diagnostic value of abdominal and pelvic CT scan with intravenous contrast in the diagnosis of hollow viscera damage in blunt trauma patients.

In this cross-sectional study, 90 blunt trauma patients were included in the study. Clinical data of patients with blunt abdominal trauma who underwent CT scan and laparotomy were collected. The diagnostic value of CT scan compared to the results of laparotomy as a gold standard was analyzed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy.

69 patients (76.7%) were male and 21 patients (23.3%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 29.82 ± 17.51 years. Based on laparotomy, there was no injury in 60% of patients (54 patients) and in 36 patients (40%) damage to hollow organs was diagnosed. In general, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of CT scan were 22.2%, 100%, 100%, 65.8% and 68.9%, respectively. The sensitivity of CT scan was 12% for bowel damage and 62.5% for bladder damage. The sensitivity of CT scan for intra-abdominal/pelvic fluid (31.25%) was the highest and the specificity and positive predictive value for other CT scan findings were similar (100%).

While the sensitivity of CT scan in detecting hollow viscera injuries is low, its specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy are high and acceptable. Therefore, CT scan can be used as a complementary tool along with other diagnostic methods to diagnose hollow organ injuries in blunt trauma patients.

The levels of inflammatory biomarkers ESR and CRP are significantly increased in the early stages of the COVID-19 and their levels are related to the severity of the disease. The present study was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of CRP and ESR in COVID-19.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 287 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran, in 2021. A questionnaire containing demographic data, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings and final outcome was completed by reviewing the medical records and HIS system. Patients were divided into moderate and severe groups according to the severity of lung involvement in CT scan and oxygen saturation (SPO2). The data were entered into SPSS-16 software and the ESR and CRP levels were compared between the two groups. Moreover, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and the cut-off point were determined and the ROC curve was drawn.

Out of 287 patients, 151 (52.6%) were women and 136 (47.4%) were men, and the mean age of the patients was 56.14±18.45 years. Hypertension (35.5%) was the most common underlying disease. Shortness of breath (56.8%) and cough (52.3%) were the most common clinical symptoms. In this study, 34.1% of the patients had a severe form of the disease. Finally, 18 patients (6.3%) died. ESR test with a cut-off point of 30, sensitivity of 81.6%, and specificity of 71.4% and CRP test with a cut-off point of 38, sensitivity of 84.7%, and specificity of 82.5% have the necessary accuracy to diagnose the severity of COVID-19.

According to the current findings, ESR with a cut-off point of 30 and CRP with a cut-off point of 38 had the necessary diagnostic accuracy to assess the severity of COVID-19. Therefore, in the initial examination of COVID-19 patients, according to the cut-off point of these two important biomarkers, severe cases of the disease should be quickly identified and the necessary treatment measures should be started as soon as possible to prevent poor outcomes.

Determining the severity and site of rotator cuff tear (RCT) is very important for choosing a treatment method. In this study, the diagnostic value of indirect magnetic resonance arthrography (I-MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared.

This cross-sectional study was performed in 36 patients attending an orthopedic clinic in 2020. Patients with clinical suspicion of RCT were initially treated conservatively for six weeks. If there was no response, first, imaging was performed by MRI and I-MRA and then the patients underwent arthroscopy for final diagnosis and treatment. The images were then evaluated one week apart by a musculoskeletal radiologist.

The results of both imaging methods were in line with the arthroscopic results and the amount of I-MRA agreement (k= 0.104 ± 0.698) was higher than MRI (k= 0.115 ± 0.606). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative (NPV), and accuracy of MRI and I-MRA in diagnosing partial RCTs were 78.28, 84.62, 90.00, 68.75, and 80.55 vs. 86.96, 92.3, 95.24, 80.00, 88.89, respectively. In detection of full-thickness RCTs, the sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, and accuracy of the two methods were similar (88.89, 92.59, 80.00, 96.15, and 91.67, respectively). Sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, and accuracy on MRI and I-MRA in diagnosis of subscapularis tears were 50.00, 96.87, 66.67, 93.94, and 91.67 vs. 50.00, 100, 100, 94.14, and 94.44, respectively.

I-MRA has more diagnostic value than MRI in detection of partial and subscapularis tears of rotator cuff.

In the study, bread salinity was measured in bakeries in Varamin and Pakdasht cities with Atago salinity meter and the results were compared by Mohr method.

Methods and material:

 In this study, 676 bread samples were measured for salinity Atago digital, and then the results were compared by the Mohr method. The ability to detect this salinity was also evaluated by the diagnostic value method. Then the indicators of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy ,and predictive value of the device were used. Ethical considerations were considered at all stages of the study.

Mean and standard deviation of bread salinity in Pakdasht city by Mohr method for Barbari, Taftoon, Sangak and Lavash bread 0.42± 0.51, 0.57± 0.58, 0.60± 0.45 and 0.53± 0.49 And the same values ​​according to the response of Atago salinity meter for Barbari, Taftoon, Sangak and Lavash breads: 0.42 ± 0.56, 0.43 ± 0.55, 0.44 ± 0.66, 0.61 ± 0.41 was obtained. Mean bread salinity in Varamin city by Mohr method for Barbari, Taftoon, Sangak and Lavash breads 0.80 ± 0.32, 0.81 ± 1.09, 0.82 ± 0.10 and 0.78 ± 0.98. Also according to the answer Atago salinity meter was obtained for Barbari, Taftoon, Sangak and Lavash breads: 0.56 ± 1.03, 0.58±0. 89, 0.85 ± 0.60 and 0.57 ±0.81. Sensitivity, specificity, ability to detect salinity cases above the standard, ability to detect salinity cases below the standard, positive and negative likelihood, respectively 80.35, 88.37, 77.97, 77.89, 6.91, 0.22 Percentage was calculated.

The ability of Atago salinity meter to detect cases below the standard is 80.35% and also to detect cases above the standard limit of 77.97%, so it can be considered as a suitable test.

Ovarian cancer is among the most common cancers in women worldwide. CA125 is the most frequent biomarker used in the screening for ovarian cancer. CA125 has no high sensitivity and specificity as a screening test in the medical community; however, because of being simple and noninvasive, it is almost always requested for evaluation and ruling out cancer. It plays an important role in the treatment and post-treatment process, the prediction of prognosis, and the relapse of the disease. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between a high level of CA125 tumor marker and ovarian cancer by detecting spesivity, sensivity, positive and negative predictive values.

In this cross-sectional study, all cases undergoing CA125 test in Velayat Hospital in 
2017-1028 were evaluated for having ovarian cancer. In addition, the CA125 level was compared between healthy individuals and patients with ovarian cancer. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS.

The present study was approved by the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (Ethics Code: IR.QUMS.REC.1396.316).

 In this study, 35.3% of the study participants received a definite diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Generally, CA125 values were negative in 41.8% and positive in.58.2% of the study subjects. The sensitivity of the test was measured as 80.1%, the specivity as 53.6%, the positive predictive value equaled 48.4%, and the negative predictive value was measured as 83%. There was a significant relationship between age and the presence of ovarian cancer, and serum CA125 levels.

 The present study suggested that age and the serum level of CA125 were statistically significant. Finally, CA125 levels were significantly related to ovarian cancer. It provided moderate specivity and specivity as well as low positive predictive value and high negative predictive value as a tumor marker; it is valuable for ruling out of tumor but not appropriate as a screening test.

Examination of bile ducts and pancreas by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are two methods in the diagnosis of biliary tract diseases. Since ERCP is more invasive than MRCP, this study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of MRCP compared to ERCP.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 130 patients over 18 years of age who were suspected of common bile duct stone, also known as choledocholithiasis, based on tests and clinical examinations. MRCP was performed first and then ERCP was performed and the results of these two methods were compared.

The mean age of the subjects was 59.6±13.7 years. 53 were male (40.8%) and 77 were female (59.2%). Stone was reported with MRCP in 91 patients (70%) and ERCP in 96 patients (73.8%). The sensitivity of MRCP in the diagnosis of common bile duct stones compared to ERCP was 88.5% while the the specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic value of MRCP in the diagnosis of common bile duct stones compared to ERCP were 82.3%, 93.4%, 71.7%, 86.1%, respectively.

The results of the study showed that MRCP has a high diagnostic power in the diagnosis of common bile duct stones. Therefore, it can be used as a primary method to detect the presence or absence of common bile duct stones.

Airway assessment is very important in anesthesia. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of Mallampati test indicators in supine and sitting positions with and without phonation in anesthesia candidate patients.

This cross-sectional descriptive study (diagnostic approach) was done in 200 adult patients ≥16 years, undergoing surgery in hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2018-2019. Diagnostic indicators of Mallampati test, including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values, in sitting and supine positions with and without phonation were determined before induction of anesthesia. Correlation between different Mallampati test methods was determined applying standard Cormac Lehane test.

Based on Cormack-lehane scoring, laryngoscopy was very difficult in 5.5% (n=11) and difficult in 12% (n= 24), respectively. The correlation coefficients between Cormack Lehane test and Mallampati test in sitting and supine positions with phonation were 0.332 and 0.284, respectively. The highest sensitivity (82.9%) and specificity (80%) were found in supine position without phonation and sitting position with phonation, respectively. In supine position with phonation, the sensitivity and specificity were 65.7 % and 67.9%, respectively. The accuracy of the sitting position with phonation was 77.4%.

The highest correlation between Malapmati test and Cormac Lehane test was in sitting position with phonation. Also, Malapmati test in supine position with phonation, has high sensitivity and specificity and is recommended as a suitable alternative for airway assessment.

American College Of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) guideline has a recommendation for early diagnosis of head injuries following mild trauma. In this study we examined the prediction power, sensitivity, and specificity of this clinical guideline in the need for computed tomography (CT) scan 

 This cross-sectional study was performed for 6 months on patients over 18 years old referred to the emergency department of Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Arak who met ACEM criteria for head CT scan for suspected mild trauma. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, trauma mechanism, physical injuries caused by head trauma, and history of drug abuse were recorded. The consciousness level (Glasgow Coma Scale) was checked every two hours. Patients underwent treatment if there was a pathology in CT images, and those with no clear pathology were discharged after 6 hours and, followed up by phone for two weeks, and in case of any abnormality in the level of consciousness, they were re-examined by CT scanning.

This study has an ethical approval obtained from Arak University of Medical sciences (code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1396.227).

500 patients, 335 male (67%) and 165 females (33%) with the mean age of 46.39± 2.01 years were studied; the sensitivity the ACEM guideline for predicting the need for CT scan in patients with mild head trauma were 100% with a specificity of 3.46% (for the second recommendation, the sensitivity was 100% with a specificity of 6.7%) which indicated that the test was highly sensitive to diagnosing the patients, but its specificity was low.

 The ACEM guideline had high sensitivity to predicting the need for CT in patients with mild head trauma, but had very low specificity which makes it an unacceptable criterion for rejecting or performing CT scan in these patients.

Metacarpal and finger fractures are the most common upper organ injuries in the emergency. The hand is one of the most important and effective part in this organ. Diagnosis and treatment for these organs are crucial until complete recovery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography compared to radiography in the diagnosis of metacarpal fractures in the emergency departments of the hospitals Kosar and Be'sat in Sanandaj during the years 2016-2017.

In this cross-sectional study, patients that referred to the emergency with clinical suspicion of metacarpal fracture were evaluated. Clinical, ultrasound, and radiographic findings of the patient were completed by a checklist. Kappa agreement test was used to investigate the relationship between findings of sonographic and radiographicand sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of two methods calculated by using SPSS v.24 software. 

In this study, 73 patients were evaluated, 57 (78.1%) were male and 16 (21.9%) were female. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value related to radiography in diagnosis of metacarpal fractures were 84.2%, 88.5%, 83.5%, and 89.8%, respectively. There was a significant relationship between sonographic and radiographic findings. The kappa value is 0.78 in the direct direction.  

Due to the high sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in cases with a suspicion of fracture, ultrasound results are faster, cheaper, non-invasive and repeatable in the emergency departmentand Fast ultrasound (FAST) can be performed.

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women, and its annual incidence is more than 500,000 cases in the world and is the most common cause of death due to gynecologic cancer in America in 2011. The pursuit of abnormal Pap smear with the help of high-sensitivity diagnostic methods requires to evaluate the diagnostic value of Pap smear compared with colposcopy in diagnosing the abnormal cases and timely treatment and reduce the mortality from cervical cancer. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to evaluate the diagnostic value of Pap smear compared with colposcopy in diagnosing the abnormal cases of cervix.
This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 172 women with abnormal Pap smear who referred to the gynecology clinic of Yasouj and had undergone colposcopy in 2015. Data collection tools included a checklist (demographic and midwifery characteristics, Pap-smear report and colposcopic examination), and data collection method was through examination and observation. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 19) and Chi-square test. P In this study, 55 patients (31%) had abnormal colposcopy and 22.1% of abnormal cases were aceto withe. 117 cases (68.0%) of abnormal pap smears were diagnosed by normal colposcopy, which indicated the compliance of pap smear and colposcopy with an agreement coefficient of 30% (p = 0.032). The most compliance of pap smear and colposcopy was obtained in a high-grade lesion (CIN3), and the least complication was reported in cases which pap smear showed a mild-grade lesions (CIN1, CIN2). The diagnostic sensitivity of colposcopy was obtained 93%, so the diagnostic accuracy of colposcopy (54.3%) was higher than pap smear (41.26%).
Colposcopy compared with Pap smear has higher efficacy and diagnostic accuracy in finding the early stages of cervical cancer. The most compliance of pap smear and colposcopy was obtained in a high-grade lesion (CIN3).

Violence against women is a serious social problem affecting public health. Given the relatively high prevalence of domestic violence and the need for screening, a simple tool for its correct diagnosis in a short time seems to be necessary. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic values of the HITS (Hurts, Insults, Threaten, and Screams) tool and CTS2 (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales) in domestic violence screening.
Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 279 married women referred to health centers in Tabriz in 2014. Data were collected using the socio-demographic questionnaire, HITS and CTS2. Kappa index was used to assess agreement between instruments.
Results showed that HITS tool had relatively good sensitivity (75.7%) and high specificity (93.5%). Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 96.8% and 59.5% respectively. There was a moderate agreement between instruments (Kappa=0.6).
Given the simplicity of HITS and the possibility to complete it in a short time, this questionnaire can be recommended to identify people experiencing domestic violence at the broad level. In addition, the development of this tool is recommended in future studies.

Background and Appendectomy is the most common emergency surgery and diagnosis of this clinical problem is of great importance in decreasing the complications and treatment costs. In this study the diagnostic value of bilirubin level and WBC count in acute appendicitis were compared.
A cross-sectional study was performed in patients attending Emergency Department in Sari Imam Khomeini Hospital, 2014, with pain in abdomen and primary diagnosis of appendicitis. The diagnostic value of lab tests (bilirubin level and WBC count) was investigated. Also, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of two tests were compared.
The specificity, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of hyperbilirubinemia for acute appendicitis was 66.7%, 75.8%, 95.8%, and 21.4%, respectively. The specificity and sensitivity of leukocytosis for appendicitis was 100% and 71.4%, respectively. The positive predictive value for an elevated WBC count was 100% and the negative predictive value was 25.7%.
Bilirubin level and WBC count were found to have fairly similar predictive values for acute appendicitis. Therefore, measuring bilirubin levels might be useful when investigating a patient with symptoms of acute appendicitis.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of man in the world and dentists should receive the capability to accurately diagnose of tooth decay during the training courses. In addition to clinical examination, the panoramic view and intraoral radiography is usually used for the caries detection. Therefore, the detection of caries on X-ray images can have a role in treatment planning.
In this analytical study, 10 panoramic radiographies that randomly selected, separately given to 30 senior dental students and 2 professors (in order to determine the gold standard). Data were analyzed using SPSS 17 software, diagnostic tables and indexes were prepared and the results were analyzed by Kappa test. Moreover, in order to determine the agreement between the professors and students about the depth of the decay the weighted kappa coefficient was used.
The kappa value about detection of presence or absence of proximal caries between professors and students's diagnosis was 0.428 (P value=0.001). Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value obtained by students in caries detection were %47, %91.9, %63 and %85.3, respectively. Coefficient of agreement in detection of depth diagnosis obtained by professors and students was 0.361(p value=0.000).
The diagnostic capability of senior dental students about caries detection was fair and depth diagnosis was slight.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the most common complication among women at the reproductive age, which may adversely interfere with daily activities. Due to the high prevalence of PMS in Iran, identification of rapid and effective diagnostic tools is paramount for the correct recognition of this syndrome. This study aimed to compare the predictive values of the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) and Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) in the diagnosis of PMS. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 230 female students above 18 years, who were selected using convenience sampling. PSST and DRSP questionnaires were completed on a daily basis during two menstrual cycles of the subjects. In this study, rate of the correct classification of PMS symptom severity (mild to severe) by PSST was estimated at 83.9%. Sensitivity and specificity of PSST were 66.3% and 85.6%, respectively. In addition, positive and negative predictive values of PSST were reported to be 96.2% and 33%, respectively. Also, there was a moderate, significant correlation between PSST and DRSP (r=0.38, p<0.001). According to the results of this study, PSST could be a proper screening tool to identify normal women in clinical situations and diagnose mild PMS accurately. However, it is not an appropriate measure to predict the severity of PMS. In this regard, use of prospective tools could result in a definitive diagnosis of PMS.

Background and Pre-eclampsia is one of the most common syndromes associated with pregnancy. Severe hypertension, eclampsia and other pathological disorders are the predictable outcomes of this syndrome among high risk pregnant women. Pre-eclampsia accompanied by bleeding and infection is considered as a leading cause of death in pregnant women worldwide. Early diagnosis of this syndrome can help physicians in choosing more effective treatment options. In a prospective research we aimed to determine the sensitivity, specificity and the relationship between different factors in utrine artries among high risk pregnant women. G50 Ultrasound was used on 100 pregnant women fitting our inclusion criteria. Data was analyzed in SPSS V…... The mean age of patients was 23.2±4.1 years old and their mean BMI was 23.2±5.4. There were four patients (4.7%) with history of pre-eclampsia and one (1.1%) with diabetes. Pre-eclampsia occurred in 10 patients which was severe in two and mild in eight cases. The sensitivity and specificity of PI and RI values were found to be higher in first trimester and second trimester, respectively. This study found Doppler Ultrasound as an effective standard diagnostic method in diagnosis of pre-eclampsia in high risk pregnancies. These findings need to be assessed in different samples before we can generalize it to other population.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the best method for diagnosis of thyroid tumors before surgery and is performed widely for patients; but in about 20% of cases, the test answer is reported as suspicious or intermediate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mRNA expression of gene FHL1 as a tumor marker in differentiating benign and malignant tumors of papillary thyroid carcinoma. 50 patients from Ahvaz hospitals (Iran) with malignant (25 cases) and benign (25 cases) thyroid tumors were enrolled in this study. RNA was extracted from paraffin samples with specific kit and the kit was used for cDNA synthesis. Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were consisted of 20 micro liters of the reaction mixture containing the fluorescent Cyber Green. The relative mRNA expression of FHL1 gene in the malignant group (0.05%) was significantly lower than that in the benign group (5.29%) (P = 0.019). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the gene has a good performance for differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid tumors, with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92. Sensitivity and specificity of FHL1 gene expression as a diagnostic test were 84% and 84%, respectively, Gene expression of FHL1 is more efficient to differentiate papillary thyroid carcinoma from benign tumors.

Hemoglobin screening methods before blood donation need to be not only simple، rapid and inexpensive but also sensitive for detection of both low and high hemoglobin levels to prevent false rejection of potential donors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of two methods of hemoglobinometry in blood donors.

In this cross sectional study، 198 blood donors were randomly selected. The hemoglobin levels of two blood samples taken by means of a single finger stick were determined by Hemocue 201+ and Hemocontrol and hemoglobin level of a venous blood sample was measured by Cobas hematology analyzer as standard method. Venous hemoglobin range of 12. 5-17. 9 g/dl was regarded as inclusion criteria for blood donation. The sensitivity، specificity and correlation between reference method and each of the hemoglobinometers were assessed. Data analysis was performed by means of correlation tests، regression analysis and paired t-test.

Mean hemoglobin levels measured by Cobas، Hemocue and Hemocontrol were 15. 9±1. 68، 16. 28±1. 91 and 16. 30±196 g/dl، respectively. Hemoglobin levels measured by hemoglobinometers were higher than that measured by the standard reference. This difference was not significant in low hemoglobin levels، contrary to high hemoglobin levels. Each of the two methods showed significant correlation with standard method when hemoglobin levels were lower than normal limit. Increased hemoglobin levels led to decreased correlation coefficient which was not significant with hemoglobin levels higher than 18g/dl.

Our study results showed that these heomoglobinometers were not valid for screening high hemoglobin levels in blood donors and a large number of potential donors would be falsely rejected. Further studies to find valid methods are recommended.

Fetal movement counting is a method that used by the mother to quantify her baby''s movements. Since 1970s a variety of counting techniques with different alarm limits have been developed few of which have been evaluated for predictive values and hence the clinical value of the absolute number of fetal movements has not been established. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2011 in Educational and Medical Center of Alzahra in Tabriz. Three hundred singleton pregnant women at 32-40 weeks’ gestation having inclusion criteria were selected randomly from among women with complaint of decreased fetal movement. To perform the counting of three fetal movements in one hour and their recording in related chart was instructed by the researcher in a face to face manner. After the counting، pregnant woman was referred to ultrasound unit in order to perform the test of biophysical profile، then the two test results were compared with each other. According to the test of fetal movement counting، 99. 7% of fetuses were active and 0. 3% of them were inactive. On the basis of the test of biophysical profile، 96. 3% of fetuses had score of 10 and 3. 7% had score less than 10. In this study، a significant relationship was found to exist between the result of maternal fetal movement counting and biophysical profile (p< 0. 001). The sensitivity، specificity، positive and negative predictive value of the test of fetal movement counting were 100%، 96%، 9% and 100% respectively. The result of this study suggests the usefulness of maternal fetal movement counting as an early simple screening and noninvasive method in assessment of fetal well-being.