Kolaczinski 2004.
Clinical features and settings |
Presenting signs and symptoms: Suspected malaria or febrile illness Previous treatment for malaria: No exclusion criteria based on previous use of antimalarials, and no data on previous antimalarial use of the participants was presented Clinical setting: Basic health units within an Afghan refugee camp Country: Pakistan (North West Frontier Province) Malaria endemicity: Not stated Malaria endemic species: 80% P. vivax, 20%P. falciparum |
|
Participants |
Sample size: 499 Age: All age groups eligible for inclusion; actual age range of the participants not stated Sex: Both males and females eligible for inclusion; actual age range of the participants not stated Co‐morbidities and pregnancy: No exclusions based on co morbidities or pregnancy, and no data presented on the frequency of these conditions in the study population Parasite density of microscopy positive cases: Not presented |
|
Study design | Enrolment was consecutive and prospective. 1 RDT was tested. | |
Target condition and reference standard(s) |
Target condition: Malaria parasitaemia Reference standard: Microscopy thick and think blood films Who performed the reference standard tests, and where? Microscopists in the basic health units within an Afghan refugee camp and HNI's reference laboratory in Peshawar If microscopy was used, how many high power fields were looked at? 100 How many observers or repeats were used? 2, 1 at the BHU and 1 at the reference laboratory How were discrepancies between observers resolved? Unclear "all of the smears checked by the microscopist at each BHU were cross checked at HNI's reference laboratory at Pashawar". |
|
Index and comparator tests |
Commerical name of RDT: OptiMAL (DiaMed, AG, Cressier, Switzerland) Parasite(s) designed to detect:P. falciparum or mixed infection, non‐falciparum malaria species only Designated type: Type 4 Batch numbers: Not stated Transport and storage conditions: Not described Person(s) performing RDT: Microscopists RDT setting: Basic health units |
|
Follow‐up | Not applicable | |
Notes | Source of funding: Not stated | |
Table of Methodological Quality | ||
Item | Authors' judgement | Description |
Representative spectrum? All tests | Yes | Participants were a consecutive series of patients attending a basic health units with suspected malaria. |
Acceptable reference standard? All tests | Yes | 2 microscopists, 1 working in a central laboratory, viewed at least 100 high power fields before declaring a slide negative. |
Partial verification avoided? All tests | Yes | All participants who received the index test also received the reference test. |
Differential verification avoided? All tests | Yes | The same reference test was used regardless of the index test results. |
Incorporation avoided? All tests | Yes | The index test does not form part of the reference standard. |
Reference standard results blinded? All tests | No | The index test and reference test were undertaken by the same person. |
Index test results blinded? All tests | No | The index test and reference test were undertaken by the same person. |
Uninterpretable results reported? All tests | Unclear | The number of participants originally enrolled in the study was clearly stated, and corresponded to the number presented in the analysis: therefore there were no exclusions due to invalid test results. |
Withdrawals explained? All tests | Yes | The number of participants originally enrolled in the study was clearly stated, and corresponded to the number presented in the analysis: therefore there were no withdrawals. |