NAME: Calcium, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase levels in elderly patients TYPE: Retrospective chart review SIZE: 178 records by 8 variables DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACT: Each record contains the results of a laboratory analysis of calcium, inorganic phosphorous, and alkaline phosphatase. The variable cammol is measured as millimoles per liter. Phosmol is inorganic phosphorous in millimoles per liter. Alkphos is meauring alkaline phosphatase in international units per liter. The purpose of the study was to determine if significant gender differences exist in the mean values of calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase in subjects over age 65. A second purpose was to determine if analytical variation between laboratoreis would affect the mean values of the study variables. Calcium.dat contains incorrect records that have transcription errors. Calciumgood.dat contains the corrected values. DATA SOURCE: Used with permission from Joan Boyd, Maria Delost, and John Holcomb (1998). Boyd and Delost conducted the retrospective chart review for subjects tested in the greater Youngstown, OH area. DATASETS LAYOUT: Calcium.dat Columns Variable Comment 9-11 OBSNO Patient Observation Number 21-22 AGE Years 33 SEX 1=Male, 2=Female 42-44 ALKPHOS Alkaline Phosphatase International Units/Liter 55 Lab Lab: 1=Metpath; 2=Deyor; 3=St. Elizabeth's; 4=CB Rouche; 5=YOH; 6=Horizon 63-66 CAMMOL Calcium mmol/L 74-77 PHOSMMOL Inorganic Phosphorus mmol/L 88 AGEGROUP Age group 1=65-69; 2=70-74; 3=75-79; 4=80-84; 5=85-89 Years Calciumgood.dat Columns Variable Comment 9-11 OBSNO Patient Observation Number 20-22 AGE Years 32-33 SEX 1=Male, 2=Female 42-44 ALKPHOS Alkaline Phosphatase International Units/Liter 54-55 Lab Lab: 1=Metpath; 2=Deyor; 3=St. Elizabeth's; 4=CB Rouche; 5=YOH; 6=Horizon 62-66 CAMMOL Calcium mmol/L 74-77 PHOSMMOL Inorganic Phosphorus mmol/L 88 AGEGROUP Age group 1=65-69; 2=70-74; 3=75-79; 4=80-84; 5=85-89 Years PEDAGOGICAL NOTES: Have students use graphical and summary analysis techniques to discover "problem" values in calcium.dat. The file calciumgood.dat contains the corrected values. A full description of how to use this data can be found in the "Datasets and Stories" article "Teaching Students to Use Summary Statistics and Graphics to Clean and Analyze Data". To utilize the grid for obtaining psuedo patient records to learn the correct data values, click on http://www.amstat.org/v13n3/grid/bigtable.htm REFERENCES: Boyd, J., Delost, M., and Holcomb, J., (1998). "Calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase laboratory values of elderly subjects," Clinical Laboratory Science, 11, 223-227. SUBMITTED BY: John P. Holcomb, Jr. Cleveland State University 2121 Euclid Ave., RT 1515 Cleveland, OH, 44115-2214 j.p.holcomb@csuohio.edu Angela Spalsbury Youngstown State University One University Plaza Youngstown, OH 4455 angie@math.ysu.edu