Table 3.
Species-specific sensitivity and NPV of the formalin-ether concentration technique (FECT) and the Flotac-400 dual technique for the diagnosis of intestinal protozoon infections in stool specimens from south-central Côte d'Ivoirea
| Species and test | Sensitivity (95% CI) | NPV (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|
| Entamoeba coli | ||
| FECT | 81.9% (72.6–89.1%) | 45.2% (27.3–64.0%) |
| Flotac | 88.3% (80.0–94.1%) | 54.2% (32.9–74.5%) |
| Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar | ||
| FECT | 71.4% (55.4–84.3%) | 84.6% (74.7–91.8%) |
| Flotac | 52.4% (36.4–68.0%) | 76.7% (66.4–85.2%) |
| Blastocystis hominis | ||
| FECT | 42.4% (25.5–60.8%) | 79.8% (70.3–87.4%) |
| Flotac | 66.7% (48.2–82.0%) | 87.2% (78.3–93.4%) |
| Entamoeba hartmanni | ||
| FECT | 85.7% (57.2–98.2%) | 97.9% (92.7–99.8%) |
| Flotac | 21.4% (4.7–50.8%) | 89.5% (82.0–94.7%) |
| Giardia intestinalis | ||
| FECT | 58.3% (27.7–84.8%) | 95.1% (88.8–98.4%) |
| Flotac | 75.0% (72.8–94.5%) | 97.0% (91.4–99.4%) |
| Endolimax nana | ||
| FECT | 100% (73.5–100%) | 100% (96.2–100%) |
| Flotac | 16.7% (2.1–48.4%) | 90.6% (88.3–95.4%) |
| Chilomastix mesnili | ||
| FECT | 100% (63.6–100%) | 100% (96.4–100%) |
| Flotac | 12.5% (0.3–52.7%) | 93.5% (87.0–97.3%) |
| Iodamoeba buetschlii | ||
| FECT | 75.0% (19.4–99.4%) | 99.1% (94.8–99.9%) |
| Flotac | 50.0% (6.8–93.2%) | 98.1% (93.4–99.8%) |
a
A total of 108 stool specimens were examined. The combined results from FS4 and FS7 for the Flotac-400 dual technique are included. The pooled results of the FECT and the Flotac-400 dual technique were considered the diagnostic gold standard (sensitivity = 100%, NPV = 100%).