In a recent study, Smout and colleagues found that the positive predictive value of a clinical diagnosis of pertussis is higher during times of high prevalence compared to low prevalence. This means that healthcare professionals can more confidently diagnose pertussis when there are more cases circulating in the community. However, this is a mathematical certainty and not a groundbreaking discovery. Daniel J Chivers, a foundation year 2 doctor in Sheffield, UK, agrees with this finding and acknowledges the importance of considering disease prevalence when making clinical diagnoses. He can be reached at djchivers307@gmail.com.
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Media attention can impede positive predictive value of clinical diagnosis of low prevalence disease
