Clinical Outcomes of Electrodiagnostic Testing Conducted in Primary Care

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Clinical Impact of Computerized Electrodiagnostic Testing (n = 100)

Pretest DX	n	Impact on Pretest DX (%)			Changed Management
Pretest DX	n	Confirmed DX^*	Changed DX^*	Expanded DX	Changed Management
Carpal tunnel syndrome	34	76.5	0.0	20.6	41.2
Diabetic PN	18	55.6	5.6	16.7	22.2
Other PN	11	36.4	27.3	18.2	27.3
LSR	17	41.2	17.6	5.9	29.4
LSR or PN	20	60.0	35.0	25.0	20.0
Total [n (95% CI)]	100	59 (49–68)	14 (8–22)	18 (12–27)	30 (22–40)

* Homogeneity among the pretest diagnostic categories rejected by contingency χ² test at P < .1.
DX, diagnosis; LSR, lumbosacral radiculopathy; PN, polyneuropathy.

Table 3.

Published Studies of Electrodiagnostic Clinical Outcomes

Reference	Studies (n)	Diagnosis Before Test (%)			Diagnosis After Test (%)
Reference	Studies (n)	CTS	LSR/PN	Other^*	Abnormal	Confirmed	Changed Plan
Current study	100	34.0	66.0	0	88.0	59.0	30.0
Kothari et al, 1995⁴⁴	126	26.0	33.0	41.0	60.3	31.7	NA
Kothari et al, 1998³⁷	100	17.5	27.0	55.6	78.0	49.0	46.0
Lo et al, 2002⁴⁵	348	100	0	0	56.3	48.6	NA
Cho et al, 2004⁴⁶	44	0	100	0	81.8	38.6	41.0

* Cervical radiculopathy; brachial and lumbosacral plexopathy; focal neuropathies (radial, ulnar, peroneal, proximal median, tibial); motor neuron disease; myasthenia gravis; and myopathy.
CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome; LSR, lumbosacral radiculopathy; PN, polyneuropathy.