title: Economic and laboratory considerations in screening for vitamin B12 deficiency in psychiatric practice.
abstract: Two alternative methods for detecting vitamin B(12) deficiency in a psychiatric population have been compared: the ;direct' approach by microbiological assay of serum vitamin B(12) levels in all patients, and the ;indirect' approach where all patients are first screened for antigastric parietal cell antibodies and thereafter all positive reactors and other ;high-risk' patients have serum vitamin B(12) assayed. The indirect approach was found to be cheaper.
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001681:Biological Assay; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008722:Methods; D013270:Stomach / Q000276:immunology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D014805:Vitamin B 12