A Triage Algorithm for Inhalational Anthrax
Authors: Harold C. Sox
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Editorials2 September 2003A Triage Algorithm for Inhalational AnthraxHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-139-5_Part_1-200309020-00014 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail This issue contains a thoughtful effort to make the most of limited data on a subject of intense public concern: the diagnosis of inhalational anthrax. Soon after September 11, 2001, the United States had its first experience with bioterrorism. The attack was limited but deeply troubling because the perpetrators used the U.S. Postal Service, an accurate and reasonably quick delivery system, to disseminate anthrax spores. It is all too easy to imagine a more determined effort to spread anthrax: emergency departments filled with frightened people, some in the early stages of a deadly disease.Hupert and colleagues address the problem ...References1. Hupert N, Bearman GML, Mushlin AI, Callahan MA. Accuracy of screening for inhalational anthrax after a bioterrorist attack. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:337-45. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Sox HC, Sox CH, Tompkins RK. The training of physician's assistants. The use of a clinical algorithm system for patient care, audit of performance and education. N Engl J Med. 1973;288:818-24. [PMID: 4144344] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Komaroff AL, Black WL, Flatley M, Knopp RH, Reiffen B, Sherman H. Protocols for physician assistants. Management of diabetes and hypertension. N Engl J Med. 1974;290:307-12. [PMID: 4148936] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Sox HC, Koran LM, Sox CH, Marton KI, Dugger F, Smith T. A medical algorithm for detecting physical disease in psychiatric patients. Hosp Community Psychiatry. 1989;40:1270-6. [PMID: 2512242] MedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorCorresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106.Acknowledgments: I thank Carol Hill Sox for her assistance and Stephen G. Pauker, MD, who first told me about the restricted meaning of the likelihood ratio and also reviewed this appendix. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAccuracy of Screening for Inhalational Anthrax after a Bioterrorist Attack Nathaniel Hupert , Gonzalo M.L. Bearman , Alvin I. Mushlin , and Mark A. Callahan Accuracy of Screening for Inhalational Anthrax after a Bioterrorist Attack Nathaniel Hupert , Gonzalo M.L. Bearman , Alvin I. Mushlin , and Mark A. Callahan Metrics Cited byTriageChecklist for Initial Triage After an Anthrax Mass Exposure EventNathaniel Hupert, MD, MPH, Marissa Person, MSPH, Dan Hanfling, MD, Rita Traxler, MHS, William A. Bower, MD, and Katherine Hendricks, MD, MPH&TMDevelopment and Performance of a Checklist for Initial Triage After an Anthrax Mass Exposure EventNathaniel Hupert, MD, MPH, Marissa Person, MSPH, Dan Hanfling, MD, Rita M. Traxler, MHS, William A. Bower, MD, and Katherine Hendricks, MD, MPH&TMPathology, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Anthrax in HumansHigh-Impact Medical Journals and Peace: A History of InvolvementScreening for Inhalational Anthrax Due to Bioterrorism: Evaluating Proposed Screening ProtocolsIs it influenza or anthrax? A decision analytic approach to the treatment of patients with influenza-like illnesses 2 September 2003Volume 139, Issue 5_Part_1Page: 379-381KeywordsAlgorithmsAnthraxBayesian methodLikelihood ratioOdds ratioPneumoniaSafetySpecificityTriageVomiting ePublished: 2 September 2003 Issue Published: 2 September 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...