Testing is best for toxoplasmosis screening in pregnant women, according to the February issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study revealed that a history of exposure to "recognized vehicles of transmission," such as cat litter or raw meat, and demographic characteristics, such as maternal age and race or ethnicity, were insufficient to predict infection. The authors concluded that only systematic serologic testing (as is done for phenylketonuria and other conditions) will suffice.

Older male smokers should be screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm, recommends the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in the February 1 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Although surgical repair is risky, prognosis after rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is grim. A review of the literature revealed that ultrasonography was an effective screening method and that among men 65 and older with any history of smoking, the benefits of screening for aneurysms-and repair of large ones-outweigh the risks.