Amsterdam Stool Scale: Usefulness in Clinical Setting

The aim of this study is to assess interobserver and intraobserver variability of the Amsterdam Stool Scale in clinical practice. After passing a stool by the child participating in the study it will be assessed using the Amsterdam Stool Scale independently by one of the parents and the medical doctor. At the same time a parent will take 2 photos that will be independently evaluated by another doctor.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stool Assessment
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Stool Assessment

Detailed Description

INTRODUCTION:

Description of stool appearance is important in clinical practice. Parents are often asked to evaluate stool of their child. At present parents also take more frequently photos using smartphone camera when they are concerned with child's stool appearance and show it to their doctors. To make stool evaluation easier there have been stool form scales created. One of this is Amsterdam Stool Scale that enables stool assessment of children who are not yet toilet trained. This scale facilitates to describe amount, consistency and color of the stool.

AIM:

To assess interobserver and intraobserver variability of the Amsterdam Stool Scale in clinical practice.

METHODS:

After passing a stool by the child participating in the study, within a short-time interval (<5 min), the stool will be assessed independently by one of the parents and the medical doctor. At the same time a parent will take 2 photos with phone camera. The photographs then will be independently evaluated by another doctor who will be unaware of both the "in vivo" stool appraisal and child condition.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

Then the interobserver (between a parent, the doctor and the doctor assessing photograph) variability will be evaluated by calculating the kappa (κ) statistics for nominal data for the stool consistency, amount and color separately.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 100

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Poland
  • Warsaw, Poland
    • Department of Paediatrics, The Medical University of Warsaw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 1 year to 1 month (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The group will be selected from the children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics The Medical University of Warsaw

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 0-18 months of age
• Lack of ability to use the toilet

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of parental consent to participate in the study
• Parental inability to understand the study procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Only
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Children 1-18 months of age; Children aged between 1 month and 18 months admitted to the Department of Pediatrics The Medical University of Warsaw

Other: Stool Assessment; After passing a stool by the child participating in the study, within a short-time interval (<5 min), the stool will be assessed independently by one of the parents and the medical doctor. At the same time a parent will take 2 photos with phone photographic camera. Then the photographs will be independently evaluated by another doctor who will be unaware of both the "in vivo" stool appraisal and child condition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Interrater Variability (IV)	The outcome measures were interrater variability in the stool assessment by the parent and MD1 made in vivo and in the assessment by the parent in vivo and by MD2 based on the photograph(s). The IV was evaluated by calculating the proportion of exact agreement and the κ statistics for nominal data (colour) and weighted κ values for items in which there is a natural ordering of categories (consistency and amount). Correlation, based on the value of kappa (κ), was categorized as poor (κ ≤ 0.2), fair (0.21 ≤ κ ≤ 0.40), moderate (0.41 ≤ κ ≤ 0.60), good (0.61 ≤ κ ≤ 0.80) or excellent (0.81 ≤ κ ≤ 1.00).	<5min after defecation

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Medical University of Warsaw

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 25, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): September 30, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 23, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 4, 2017
• Last Verified: January 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 1-2014