Assessing the Sensitivity of Malaria Thin Films
Author Information
Author(s): Ohrt Colin, O'Meara Wendy Prudhomme, Remich Shon, McEvoy Peter, Ogutu Bernhards, Mtalib Ramadan, Odera James Sande
Primary Institution: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Hypothesis
What is the sensitivity of thin smears for diagnosing malaria compared to thick films?
Conclusion
The thin film is sensitive enough to be a useful tool to confirm malaria diagnosis in study subjects in some settings.
Supporting Evidence
- 100% sensitivity was achieved at >200 parasites/μl for expert microscopists.
- Thin film readings confirmed parasitaemia 74% of the time by experts.
- Discordance for species identification was substantial among readers.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well thin blood smears can detect malaria. It found that thin smears work really well when there are a lot of malaria parasites in the blood.
Methodology
Malaria thick and thin films were collected and read by five independent microscopists to assess sensitivity at varying parasite densities.
Potential Biases
Discordance in species identification was observed among microscopists.
Limitations
Specificity of the thin film was not evaluated in this experiment.
Participant Demographics
Asymptomatic semi-immune adults from Kombewa District, Kenya.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.002
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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