Quality of sweat test (ST) based on the proportion of sweat sodium (Na) and sweat chloride (Cl) as diagnostic parameter of cystic fibrosis: are we on the right way?

Table 1 Comparison between the quality of the sweat test based on the concentrations of sweat chloride and sweat sodium (proposed criteria) and the gender and age of subjects examined, as well as the results of the sweat test in view of the sweat chloride concentration obtained in the exam

Variable	Group	Quality of Sweat Test by Proposed Criteria			p-value	OR^correct	95 % CI	OR^incorrect	95 % CI
Variable	Group	Correct	Incorrect	Total	p-value	OR^correct	95 % CI	OR^incorrect	95 % CI
Gender	Male	2707	316	3023	0.001	1.311	1.115 to 1.541	0.763	0.649 to 0.897
	Female	2300	352	2652		1	-	1	-
	Total	5007	668	5675
Result of diagnosis of cystic fibrosis	<30 mEq/L	3462	189	3651	< 0.001	5.633	4.711 to 6.734	0.178	0.148 to 0.212
	≥ 30 to < 40 mEq/L	538	114	652		0.584	0.468 to 0.728	1.712	1.374 to 2.135
	≥ 40 to < 60 mEq/L	471	202	673		0.239	0.198 to 0.289	4.180	3.456 to 5.057
	≥ 60 mEq/L	552	164	716		0.380	0.312 to 0.463	2.630	2.160 to 3.203
	Total	5023	669	5692
Subject’s age	0 to 6 months	598	36	634	< 0.001	2.312	1.634 to 3.27	0.433	0.306 to 0.612
	> 6 months to ≤ 18 years	3591	306	3897		2.883	2.44 to 3.405	0.347	0.294 to 0.410
	> 18 years	778	302	1080		0.210	0.177 to 0.25	4.755	4.001 to 5.650
	Total	4967	644	5611

OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval, % percentage, mEq/L milliequivalents per liter. Alpha = 0.05

ISSN: 1746-1596