Practice patterns of XXXX at a tertiary teaching hospital in Lebanon.

@entity1 @entity715 @entity4555 @entity1701
The objective of the study was to describe the practice patterns of the @entity1701 ( @entity1701 ) as compared with consensus guidelines for diagnosis and to determine whether practice patterns correlate with @entity1 demographics and physician specialty. A retrospective medical chart review was conducted at the American University Hospital, in Beirut, Lebanon. All adult and pediatric @entity1 admitted to the hospital between 1 January and 31 December 1998 who underwent either anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) or @entity4555 ( @entity4555 ) testing were included in the study. @entity1701 was compared with: (a) the consensus guidelines for clinical diagnosis; (b) physician specialty; and (c) @entity1 demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, health insurance status). Eighty-seven @entity1 fulfilled at least one clinical criterion for @entity1701 ; 92% were for work-up of @entity715 and 8% for pregnancy morbidities. Fifty-one percent underwent both aCL and @entity4555 . Overall 38% (33) of @entity1 had an abnormal test result, however only 18% (6) underwent retesting, of whom only two satisfied a minimum of 6 weeks between test and retest TheAPS diagnostic work-up was requested by 11 different specialties. Rheumatologists were the most consistent in asking for both tests. @entity1701 is seen and diagnosed by a variety of medical specialties. Practice patterns as compared with the latest consensus are sub-optimal, and need to be improved. Interventions to help improve this have been discussed and are being implemented.
