scholarly journals Determining the degree of accuracy of Combar-10 reagent strip in diagnosing bacterial meningitis

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 2320
Author(s):  
Rajkumar D. ◽  
Ilangumaran L. ◽  
Umashankar A.

Background: The gold standard for diagnosis of meningitis depends on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination by microscopy, biochemistry, and culture, which require experienced personnel and laboratory support. We conducted this study to determine if urinary reagent strip is useful to make a semi-quantitative assessment of protein, glucose, and presence of leukocyte esterase in CSF.Methods: All consecutive CSF samples were evaluated in a blinded fashion. CSF was tested using Combur-10 urinary reagent strip as an index test, and CSF microscopy and biochemistry as reference standards. Combur-10 (Boehringer Mannheim) is an urinary reagent strip used to estimate ten parameters including protein, glucose, and leukocytes. We estimated diagnostic accuracy of each index test using corresponding cut-off levels (glucose <1 + vs. CSF glucose <50 mg/dL; protein 2 + and 3 + vs. CSF protein >30 mg/dL and >100 mg/dL; leukocyte esterase positivity vs. >10 granulocytes in CSF sample). We constructed receiver operating curves (ROC) to evaluate overall performance of index tests and estimated area under the curve (AUC).Results: CSF samples of 150 patients were included in the study. Of the three tests, diagnostic accuracy of protein estimation (2+ or more on reagent strip) was best for detection of CSF proteins greater than 50 mg/dL [sensitivity 93.2% (95% CI 86.63-96.67); specificity 91.49% (95% CI 80.07, 96.64)], with AUC of 0.97. Leukocyte esterase positivity by test strip had a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI 82.08, 94.65) and specificity of 91.6% (95% CI 81.93, 96.39) for detection of CSF granulocytes of more than 10/mm3.Conclusions: The degree of accuracy of Combar-10 reagent strip in diagnosing bacterial meningitis is very high similar to CSF microscopy and biochemistry.

2013 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 140-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti Joshi ◽  
Keerthi Kundana ◽  
Apurva Puranik ◽  
Rajnish Joshi

ABSTRACT Background: The gold standard for diagnosis of meningitis depends on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination by microscopy, biochemistry, and culture, which require an experienced microscopist and laboratory support. We conducted this study to determine if urinary reagent strip is useful to make a semi‑quantitative assessment of protein, glucose, and presence of leukocyte esterase in CSF. Materials and Methods: All consecutive CSF samples were evaluated in a blinded fashion. CSF was tested using Combur‑10 urinary reagent strip as an index test, and CSF microscopy and biochemistry as reference standards. Combur‑10 (Boehringer Mannheim) is a urinary reagent strip used to estimate ten parameters including protein, glucose, and leukocytes. We estimated diagnostic accuracy of each index test using corresponding cut‑off levels (glucose 1 + vs. CSF glucose >50 mg/dL; protein 1 + and 2 + vs. CSF protein >30 mg/dL and >100 mg/dL; leukocyte esterase positivity vs. >10 granulocytes in CSF sample). We constructed receiver operating curves (ROC) to evaluate overall performance of index tests and estimated area under the curve (AUC). Results: CSF samples of 75 patients were included in the study. All the three indicator tests (CSF cells, protein, and glucose) were normal in 17 (22.6%) samples. Of the three tests, diagnostic accuracy of protein estimation (1 + or more on reagent strip) was best for detection of CSF proteins greater than 30 mg/dL [sensitivity 98.1% (95% CI 90.1-100%); specificity 57.1% (95% CI 34-78.2%)], with AUC of 0.97. Sensitivity and specificity for 2 + on reagent strip and CSF protein > 100 mg/dL were 92.6% (95% CI 75.1-99.1) and 87.5% (95% CI 74.8-95.3), respectively, with AUC of 0.96 (95% CI 0.92-1.01). Leukocyte esterase positivity by test strip had a sensitivity of 85.2 (95% CI 66.3-95.8%) and specificity of 89.6 (95% CI 77.3-96.5%) for detection of CSF granulocytes of more than 10/mm3. Conclusion: Existing urinary reagent strips can be used to diagnose meningitis in low‑resource settings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 179 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke E. M. van der Hoek-Snieders ◽  
Antonius J. M. L. van den Heuvel ◽  
Harmieke van Os-Medendorp ◽  
Digna M. A. Kamalski

AbstractThis systematic review aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of fetal MRI for detecting cleft palate in fetuses at risk for orofacial clefts. Pubmed, Embase, and CINAHL were searched systematically. A diagnostic study was included if it performed MRI (index test) and postnatal examination (reference test) in fetuses at risk for orofacial clefts. Methodological quality was assessed using the QUADAS-2. A meta-analysis was performed with a random-effects model, calculating the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve. The search resulted in eight studies (334 fetuses) to be included: four prospective and four retrospective studies. The applicability concern was low. There was, however, a risk of selection and information bias. All studies showed that MRI well predicted the chance of cleft palate. The sensitivity results were homogeneous, but heterogeneity was assumed regarding the specificity estimate (Cochrane’s Q test: p = 0.00). The pooled sensitivity was 0.97 (95% CI 0.93–0.99); the pooled specificity was 0.94 (0.89–0.97). The area under the curve was 0.98 (95% CI 0.98–0.99).Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that MRI has an excellent sensitivity and good to excellent specificity for diagnosing cleft palate in fetuses at risk for orofacial clefts. Future research should assess applicability for clinical care.What is Known:• Using ultrasound for prenatal detection of cleft palate leads to misdiagnosis frequently.• MRI could potentially improve the prenatal detection rate of cleft palate.What is New:• Eight studies describe the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for detecting cleft palate.• Combined results show excellent sensitivity and good to excellent specificity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Sulaiman ◽  
Sai Medi ◽  
Hakan Erdem ◽  
Seniha Senbayrak ◽  
Derya Ozturk-Engin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) represents a diagnostic and management challenge to clinicians. The “Thwaites’ system” and “Lancet consensus scoring system” are utilized to differentiate TBM from bacterial meningitis but their utility in subacute and chronic meningitis where TBM is an important consideration is unknown. Methods A multicenter retrospective study of adults with subacute and chronic meningitis, defined by symptoms greater than 5 days and less than 30 days for subacute meningitis (SAM) and greater than 30 days for chronic meningitis (CM). The “Thwaites’ system” and “Lancet consensus scoring system” scores and the diagnostic accuracy by sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of receiver operating curve (AUC-ROC) were calculated. The “Thwaites’ system” and “Lancet consensus scoring system” suggest a high probability of TBM with scores ≤4, and with scores of ≥12, respectively. Results A total of 395 patients were identified; 313 (79.2%) had subacute and 82 (20.8%) with chronic meningitis. Patients with chronic meningitis were more likely caused by tuberculosis and had higher rates of HIV infection (P < 0.001). A total of 162 patients with TBM and 233 patients with non-TBM had unknown (140, 60.1%), fungal (41, 17.6%), viral (29, 12.4%), miscellaneous (16, 6.7%), and bacterial (7, 3.0%) etiologies. TMB patients were older and presented with lower Glasgow coma scores, lower CSF glucose and higher CSF protein (P < 0.001). Both criteria were able to distinguish TBM from bacterial meningitis; only the Lancet score was able to differentiate TBM from fungal, viral, and unknown etiologies even though significant overlap occurred between the etiologies (P < .001). Both criteria showed poor diagnostic accuracy to distinguish TBM from non-TBM etiologies (AUC-ROC was <. 5), but Lancet consensus scoring system was fair in diagnosing TBM (AUC-ROC was .738), sensitivity of 50%, and specificity of 89.3%. Conclusion Both criteria can be helpful in distinguishing TBM from bacterial meningitis, but only the Lancet consensus scoring system can help differentiate TBM from meningitis caused by fungal, viral and unknown etiologies even though significant overlap occurs and the overall diagnostic accuracy of both criteria were either poor or fair.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e1123
Author(s):  
Nora Chekrouni ◽  
Thijs M. van Soest ◽  
Matthijs C. Brouwer ◽  
Eline A.J. Willemse ◽  
Charlotte E. Teunissen ◽  
...  

Background and ObjectivesNeurofilament light chain (NfL) is a biomarker for neuroaxonal damage and has been found to be elevated proportionally to the degree of neuronal damage in neurologic diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic accuracy of NfL concentrations on unfavorable outcome in adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis.MethodsWe measured NfL concentration CSF samples from a prospective cohort study of adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis in The Netherlands and determined associations between NfL CSF concentrations, clinical characteristics, and outcome in multivariate analyses. We identified independent predictors of an unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale scores 1–4) by logistic regression.ResultsCSF NfL concentrations were evaluated in 429 episodes of 425 patients with community-acquired bacterial meningitis. The median age of 429 episodes was 62 years (interquartile range, 50–69 years). Of note, 290 of 422 (68%) episodes presented with an altered mental status (Glasgow Coma Scale score < 14). Most common causative pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (73%), Neisseria meningitidis (7%), and Listeria monocytogenes (5%). The overall case fatality rate was 62 of 429 (15%), and unfavorable outcome occurred in 57 (37%) of 429 episodes. In multivariate analysis, predictors of unfavorable outcome were older age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05), cranial nerve palsy (OR 4, 95% CI 1.6–10.3), high serum C-reactive protein concentration (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.01–1.05), and high CSF NfL concentration (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.07–2.00). CSF NfL concentrations were higher in patients presenting with focal cerebral deficits (717 pg/mL [416–1,401] vs 412 pg/mL [278–731]; p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting unfavorable outcome in bacterial meningitis of CSF NfL concentration was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.64–0.74).DiscussionCSF NfL concentration is independently associated with unfavorable outcome in adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis, suggesting that CSF NfL concentration may be a useful biomarker for prognostic assessment in bacterial meningitis.Classification of EvidenceCan the level of NfL in CSF (the index test) predict unfavorable outcome in patients with bacterial meningitis, in a cohort of bacterial meningitis patients with a favorable and unfavorable outcome? This study provides Class II evidence that NfL level in CSF is a moderate predictor, with the AUC for predicting unfavorable outcome in bacterial meningitis being 0.69 (95% CI, 0.64–0.74).


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 1239-1244 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Stubljar ◽  
Andreja Natasa Kopitar ◽  
Mojca Groselj-Grenc ◽  
Kristina Suhadolc ◽  
Teja Fabjan ◽  
...  

Children with temporary external ventricular drains (EVD) are prone to nosocomial infections. Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and ventriculitis in these children is challenging due to frequent blood contamination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the presence of chemical ventriculitis. The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic accuracy of presepsin (sCD14-ST), a novel biomarker of bacterial infection in CSF, to predict bacterial infection in comparison to the accuracy of established biomarkers like those demonstrated in biochemical analysis of CSF. We conducted a prospective study with 18 children with suspected bacterial meningitis or ventriculitis who had 66 episodes of disease. CSF samples were taken from external ventricular drainage. We measured presepsin in CSF, as well as CSF leukocyte count, glucose, and proteins. CSF was also taken to prove bacterial infection with culture methods or with 16S rRNA gene broad-range PCR (SepsiTest; Molzym, Germany). Infection was clinically confirmed in 57 (86%) episodes of suspected meningitis or ventriculitis. Chemical ventriculitis was diagnosed in 9 (14%) episodes of suspected meningitis or ventriculitis. Diagnostic accuracies presented as area under the curve (AUC) for sCD14-ST, leukocytes, and proteins measured in CSF were 0.877 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.793 to 0.961), 0.798 (95% CI, 0.677 to 0.920), and 0.857 (95% CI, 0.749 to 0.964), respectively. With CSF culture, we detected bacteria in 17 samples, compared to 37 detected with broad-range PCR. It was found that presepsin was present at a significantly higher level in children with clinically proven ventriculitis than in those without meningitis or ventriculitis. Diagnostic accuracies of presepsin were superior to those of leukocytes or proteins in CSF. Presepsin-guided 16S rRNA gene PCR could be used in everyday clinical practice to improve etiological diagnosis of meningitis and ventriculitis and to prescribe more appropriate antibiotics.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 846
Author(s):  
Heeyeon Kim ◽  
Yun-Ho Roh ◽  
Seo-Hee Yoon

Early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis in children are essential, due to the high mortality and morbidity rates. However, lumbar puncture is often difficult, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture takes time. This meta-analysis aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of blood procalcitonin for detecting bacterial meningitis in children. We conducted a systematic search on electronic databases to identify relevant studies. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated, and a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were determined. Eighteen studies with 1462 children were included in the analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the DOR of blood procalcitonin for detecting bacterial meningitis were 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78–0.93); 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75–0.91), and 35.85 (95% CI: 10.68–120.28), respectively. The AUC for blood procalcitonin was 0.921. Blood procalcitonin also showed higher diagnostic accuracy for detecting bacterial meningitis than other conventional biomarkers, including serum C-reactive protein and leukocyte count, CSF leukocyte and neutrophil count, and CSF protein and glucose levels. Blood procalcitonin can be a good supplemental biomarker with high diagnostic accuracy in detecting bacterial meningitis in children.


VASA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 516-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verena Mayr ◽  
Mirko Hirschl ◽  
Peter Klein-Weigel ◽  
Luka Girardi ◽  
Michael Kundi

Summary. Background: For diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD), a Doppler-based ankle-brachial-index (dABI) is recommended as the first non-invasive measurement. Due to limitations of dABI, oscillometry might be used as an alternative. The aim of our study was to investigate whether a semi-automatic, four-point oscillometric device provides comparable diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, time requirements and patient preferences were evaluated. Patients and methods: 286 patients were recruited for the study; 140 without and 146 with PAD. The Doppler-based (dABI) and oscillometric (oABI and pulse wave index – PWI) measurements were performed on the same day in a randomized cross-over design. Specificity and sensitivity against verified PAD diagnosis were computed and compared by McNemar tests. ROC analyses were performed and areas under the curve were compared by non-parametric methods. Results: oABI had significantly lower sensitivity (65.8%, 95% CI: 59.2%–71.9%) compared to dABI (87.3%, CI: 81.9–91.3%) but significantly higher specificity (79.7%, 74.7–83.9% vs. 67.0%, 61.3–72.2%). PWI had a comparable sensitivity to dABI. The combination of oABI and PWI had the highest sensitivity (88.8%, 85.7–91.4%). ROC analysis revealed that PWI had the largest area under the curve, but no significant differences between oABI and dABI were observed. Time requirement for oABI was significantly shorter by about 5 min and significantly more patients would prefer oABI for future testing. Conclusions: Semi-automatic oABI measurements using the AngER-device provide comparable diagnostic results to the conventional Doppler method while PWI performed best. The time saved by oscillometry could be important, especially in high volume centers and epidemiologic studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153303382110119
Author(s):  
Wen-Ting Zhang ◽  
Guo-Xun Zhang ◽  
Shuai-Shuai Gao

Background: Leukemia is a common malignant disease in the human blood system. Many researchers have proposed circulating microRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis of leukemia. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of circulating miRNAs in the diagnosis of leukemia. Methods: A comprehensive literature search (updated to October 13, 2020) in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was performed to identify eligible studies. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing leukemia were pooled for both overall and subgroup analysis. The meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed to explore heterogeneity and Deeks’ funnel plot was used to assess publication bias. Results: 49 studies from 22 publications with a total of 3,489 leukemia patients and 2,756 healthy controls were included in this meta-analysis. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and area under the curve were 0.83, 0.92, 10.8, 0.18, 59 and 0.94, respectively. Subgroup analysis shows that the microRNA clusters of plasma type could carry out a better diagnostic accuracy of leukemia patients. In addition, publication bias was not found. Conclusions: Circulating microRNAs can be used as a promising noninvasive biomarker in the early diagnosis of leukemia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Lovrić ◽  
Siniša Šijanović ◽  
Joško Lešin ◽  
Josip Juras

Abstract Objectives Women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and weight gain during pregnancy above recommended more often give birth to macrosomic children. The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the modified formula for ultrasound assessment of fetal weight created in a pilot study using a similar specimen in comparison to the Hadlock-2 formula. Methods This is a prospective, cohort, applicative, observational, quantitative, and analytical study, which included 213 pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy, GDM, and pregnancy weight gain above recommended. Participants were consecutively followed in the time period between July 1st, 2016, and August 31st, 2020. Ultrasound estimations were made within three days before the delivery. Fetal weights estimated using both formulas were compared to the newborns’ weights. Results A total of 133 fetal weight estimations were made. In comparison to the newborns’ weight modified formula had significantly smaller deviation in weight estimation compared to the Hadlock-2 formula, higher frequency of deviation within 5% of newborns weights (78.2% [95% CI=0.74–0.83] vs. 60.2%), smaller frequency of deviations from 5 to 10% (19.5 vs. 33.8%) and above 10%, which was even more significant among macrosomic children. There were 36/50 (72%) correctly diagnosed cases of macrosomia by modified and 33/50 (66%) by Hadlock-2 formula. Area under the curve (AUC) for the modified formula was 0.854 (95% CI=0.776–0.932), and for the Hadlock-2 formula 0.824 (95% CI=0.740–0.908). The positive predictive value of the modified formula was 81.81%, the negative 97.91%. Conclusions In cases of greater fetal weights, the modified formula showed greater precision.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahel Caliesch ◽  
Martin Sattelmayer ◽  
Stephan Reichenbach ◽  
Marcel Zwahlen ◽  
Roger Hilfiker

ObjectivesTo determine the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for cam or pincer morphology in individuals with suspected femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome and to evaluate their clinical utility.DesignA systematic review of studies investigating the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for cam and pincer morphology.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesStudies investigating the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for cam, pincer or mixed morphology in symptomatic patients. Patients had to undergo an index test and a reference test able to identify cam or pincer morphology. Study results have to allow the calculation of true or false positives and/or negatives to calculate sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios (LR) and post-test probabilities.ResultsEight studies were included, investigating 17 tests and two test combinations. The studies reported a low specificity for all tests, ranging from 0.11 to 0.56. Sensitivity ranged from 0.11 to 1.00, with high sensitivities for the flexion-adduction-internal rotation (FADIR), foot progression angle walking (FPAW) and maximal squat tests. We estimated that negative test results on all of these three tests would result in a negative LR of 0.15. However, we judged the studies to provide low-quality evidence.ConclusionThere is low-quality evidence that negative test results reduce the post-test probability of cam or mixed morphologies and that consecutive testing with the FADIR, FPAW and maximal squat tests might be used as a clinical test combination. We would not recommend their use to confirm the diagnosis of FAI syndrome.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018079116.


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