Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36803858›Full record

ReviewMalaria journal2023

Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) studies assessing the clinical performance of highly sensitive rapid diagnostic tests (HS-RDT) for Plasmodium falciparum detection.

Xavier C Ding, Sandra Incardona, Elisa Serra-Casas, Sarah C Charnaud, Hannah C Slater, Gonzalo J Domingo, Emily R Adams, Feiko O Ter Kuile, Aaron M Samuels, Simon Kariuki and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Malaria journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Plasma protein biomarkers ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Malaria diagnosis challenges andPathogens and global health · 2024
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Xavier C DingFIND, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sandra IncardonaFIND, Geneva, Switzerland.
Elisa Serra-CasasFIND, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sarah C CharnaudFIND, Geneva, Switzerland. sarah_charnaud@yahoo.co.uk.
Hannah C SlaterDiagnostics Program, PATH, Seattle, USA.
Gonzalo J DomingoDiagnostics Program, PATH, Seattle, USA.
Emily R AdamsDepartment of Tropical Disease Biology and Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
Feiko O Ter KuileDepartment of Tropical Disease Biology and Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
Aaron M SamuelsMalaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Kisumu, Kenya.
Simon KariukiKenya Medical Research Institute-Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya.
Sabine DittrichFIND, Geneva, Switzerland.
FIND · CHLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine · GBProgram for Appropriate Technology in Health · USCenter for Global Health · USKenya Medical Research Institute · KEYahoo (United Kingdom) · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are effective tools to diagnose and inform the treatment of malaria in adults and children. The recent development of a highly sensitive rapid diagnostic test (HS-RDT) for Plasmodium falciparum has prompted questions over whether it could improve the diagnosis of malaria in pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes in malaria endemic areas.

methodsThis landscape review collates studies addressing the clinical performance of the HS-RDT. Thirteen studies were identified comparing the HS-RDT and conventional RDT (co-RDT) to molecular methods to detect malaria in pregnancy. Using data from five completed studies, the association of epidemiological and pregnancy-related factors on the sensitivity of HS-RDT, and comparisons with co-RDT were investigated. The studies were conducted in 4 countries over a range of transmission intensities in largely asymptomatic women.

resultsSensitivity of both RDTs varied widely (HS-RDT range 19.6 to 85.7%, co-RDT range 22.8 to 82.8% compared to molecular testing) yet HS-RDT detected individuals with similar parasite densities across all the studies including different geographies and transmission areas [geometric mean parasitaemia around 100 parasites per µL (p/µL)]. HS-RDTs were capable of detecting low-density parasitaemias and in one study detected around 30% of infections with parasite densities of 0-2 p/µL compared to the co-RDT in the same study which detected around 15%.

conclusionThe HS-RDT has a slightly higher analytical sensitivity to detect malaria infections in pregnancy than co-RDT but this mostly translates to only fractional and not statistically significant improvement in clinical performance by gravidity, trimester, geography or transmission intensity. The analysis presented here highlights the need for larger and more studies to evaluate incremental improvements in RDTs. The HS-RDT could be used in any situation where co-RDT are currently used for P. falciparum diagnosis, if storage conditions can be adhered to.

Indexed as

MalariaMalaria, FalciparumAdultAntigens, ProtozoanChildDiagnostic Tests, RoutineFemaleHumansPlasmodium falciparumPregnancyRapid Diagnostic TestsSensitivity and SpecificityAntigens, ProtozoanHighly sensitive rapid diagnostic testHS-RDTMalariaPregnancyRapid diagnostic testRDTuRDT

Identifiers

PMID36803858
PMCPMC9942317
OpenAlexW4321369851

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.