Date:         Mon, 22 May 2006 14:06:45 -0300
Reply-To:     Gordon Walsh <Gordon.Walsh@CCNS.NSHEALTH.CA>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Gordon Walsh <Gordon.Walsh@CCNS.NSHEALTH.CA>
Subject:      if loop
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Hello,

I am attempting to evaluate the pap smear histories for a group of
women and classify each woman's results  into one of four mutually
exclusive categories.  The first three categories are based on
compliance with Pap screening guidelines.  The final category relates to
whether the woman has ever had a Pap sceen that meets the recomendations
for colposcopy.  I have created four dummy variables, set  to zero, for
each of the four categories.  The data file is sorted by Pap smear date.
 I have set up a loop to read each smear and turn on the various dummy
variables where appropriate.  Once the entire history of each woman has
been read in, the dummy variables are evaluated.  If a woman has ever
had a result that meets the recommendations for colposcopy (bethesda
code=2,4,5,6,12,17,19,21,24,26,35) then the colposcopy flag gets turned
on.  Alternatively, if she has ever had back-to-back abnormals (bethesda
code=8), this would also swithch on the colposcopy flag.  It's the
'back-to-back' abnormal results part that I am having trouble with.  If
an abnormal result is followed by a normal result, the colposcopy flag
should be reset to 0.  Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Gordon

Gordon Walsh
Epidemiologist
Surveillance & Epidemiology Unit
Cancer Care Nova Scotia
1278 Tower Road, Bethune 556
Halifax, NS
B3H 2Y9
(902) 473-7258
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