Resumo

RUEDA-SANCHEZ, Mauricio. Impact of routine testing in the diagnosis of patients with cognitive complaints. Acta Neurol Colomb. [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.3, pp.154-164. ISSN 0120-8748.

Introduction: it is recommended to achieve diagnostic test to the patients with cognitive complaints; however, the yield of these tests has not been evaluated. Objective: to determine the estimated yield of the diagnostic tests in patient with cognitive complaints, in patiens with dementia and subjects with mild cognitive impairment. Materials and methods: the efficiency of, electroencephalogram, complete blood count, VDRL, glucose, creatinine, aminotransferases, prothrombin time, lipid profile, sodium, calcium, serum vitamin B12 and folic acid and TSH; and it was evaluated if the tests changed the initial diagnosis. The estimated diagnostic yield was calculated for each test. Odds ratio was used in order to evaluate the association of the variables studied with vascular pathology or abnormal images. Results: 97 out of 229 patients with dementia and 40 out of 97 with mild cognitive impairment were included. The estimated yield of the diagnostic test were 0% (electroencephalogram, creatinine, prothrombin time, HDL, triglycerides and serum folic acid) and 40,5% (Magnetic Resonance). There ware no differences in the estimated yield among patient with dementia and mild cognitive impairment. The glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, sex, medical history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension or hipercholesterolemia did not were associated to new vascular pathology or abnormal images. Conclusions: the yield of diagnostic tests is similar in patient with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. It was not detected any predict variable of vascular pathology or abnormal images, in these patients.

Palavras-chave : Dementia; Alzheimer Disease; Electroencephalography; Diagnostic Tests; Routine; Memory.

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