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. 2011 Jul 6;2011(7):CD008122. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008122.pub2

Tagbo 2007.

Clinical features and settings Presenting signs and symptoms: History of fever and body temperature 37.5 °C or higher
Previous treatment for malaria: No exclusions based on previous antimalarial use, and no data presented on the numbers that previously used antimalarials
Clinical setting: Outpatient department of all small private hospital for children
Country: Nigeria
Malaria endemicity: Holoendemic
Malaria endemic species:P. falciparum
Participants Sample size: 89
Age: Children only, mean age 3.6 years, range 2 weeks to 14 years
Sex: 50 males and 39 females
Co‐morbidities and pregnancy: No exclusion criteria based on co‐morbidities or pregnancy; 83 of the 89 included participants had a clinical diagnosis of malaria, the remaining 6 had other infections diagnosed clinically. Of the 83 with diagnosed malaria, 29 had acute respiratory infection, 4 had gastroenteritis and 4 had otitis media.
Parasite density of microscopy positive cases: Mean 9058 parasites per μl
Study design Enrollment was consecutive and prospective. One RDT was tested.
Target condition and reference standard(s) Target condition: Malaria parasitaemia
Reference standard: Microscopy thick and thin blood smears
Person(s) performing microscopy: Certified medical laboratory scientists
Microscopy setting: Nigeria Institute for Medical Research at Lagos
Number of high power fields examined before declaring negative: at least 100
Number of observer or repeats: One
Resolution of discrepancies between observers: Not applicable
Index and comparator tests Commerical name of RDT: Paracheck Pf (Orchid Biomedical Systems, Goa, India)
Parasite(s) designed to detect:P. falciparum
Designated Type: Type 1
Batch numbers: 32037E
Transport and storage conditions: Stored at room temperatures within the range of 4 °C and 30 °C recommended by the manufacturers
Person(s) performing RDT: The study authors
RDT setting: Outpatient clinic
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 sample of children with fever attending an outpatients clinic
Acceptable reference standard? 
 All tests No Certified microscopists viewed at least 100 high power fields before declaring a slide negative, however their results were not verified by a second independent reader
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 Yes Reports that the laboratory was blinded to the results of the RDT
Index test results blinded? 
 All tests Yes RDT was undertaken before the microscopy reference standard
Uninterpretable results reported? 
 All tests Unclear The number of participants originally enrolled in the study was clearly stated and the number presented in the analysis corresponded; therefore there were no exclusions due to uninterpretable test results
Withdrawals explained? 
 All tests Yes The number of participants originally enrolled in the study was clearly stated and the number presented in the analysis corresponded; therefore there were no withdrawals