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False-positive Tests for Syphilis Revisited

False-positive Tests for Syphilis Revisited ALMOST simultaneously two important journals have called editorial attention to the limitations of the stress ECG in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.1,2 It is said that there are excessive numbers of false-positive tests in patients at low risk of disease and false-negatives in those at high risk. Both discussions invoke a concept from probability theory known as Bayes' theorem, which one writer explicitly advises the clinician to master. False-positive Tests for Syphilis The issue is reminiscent of what was called "the false-positive problem" in syphilis about which much was written 30 years ago. This article briefly reviews that subject, a matter of historic interest, since the Wassermann test and its modifications were the first important tests acknowledged to possess an inherent tendency to false reactivity. It also furnishes an instructive example of the connection between the value of a test and the prevalence of the disease sought, which http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

False-positive Tests for Syphilis Revisited

JAMA , Volume 243 (22) – Jun 13, 1980

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References (4)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.1980.03300480041023
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

ALMOST simultaneously two important journals have called editorial attention to the limitations of the stress ECG in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.1,2 It is said that there are excessive numbers of false-positive tests in patients at low risk of disease and false-negatives in those at high risk. Both discussions invoke a concept from probability theory known as Bayes' theorem, which one writer explicitly advises the clinician to master. False-positive Tests for Syphilis The issue is reminiscent of what was called "the false-positive problem" in syphilis about which much was written 30 years ago. This article briefly reviews that subject, a matter of historic interest, since the Wassermann test and its modifications were the first important tests acknowledged to possess an inherent tendency to false reactivity. It also furnishes an instructive example of the connection between the value of a test and the prevalence of the disease sought, which

Journal

JAMAAmerican Medical Association

Published: Jun 13, 1980

There are no references for this article.