Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37981691›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2023

Diagnostic performance of ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic test for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum infections in asymptomatic individuals in Kisangani, Northeast Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mbumba Lupaka, Teshome Degefa, Kasahun Eba, Ahmed Zeynudin, Delenasaw Yewhalaw

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. 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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Mbumba LupakaFaculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Teshome DegefaSchool of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. teshedege@gmail.com.
Kasahun EbaDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Ahmed ZeynudinSchool of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Delenasaw YewhalawSchool of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Jimma University · ETUniversité de Kisangani · CD

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUltrasensitive rapid diagnostic test (usRDT) was recently developed to improve the detection of low-density Plasmodium falciparum infections. However, its diagnostic performance has not been evaluated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study aims to determine the performance of the usRDT in malaria diagnosis in asymptomatic individuals under field condition in Kisangani, Northeast of DRC.

methodsA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from June to August 2022 on 312 asymptomatic individuals residing in the city of Kisangani. Capillary blood samples were collected by finger prick for microscopic examination of thick and thin blood film, RDTs, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Alere™ Malaria Ag P.f usRDT and conventional RDT (cRDT/SD Bioline Malaria Ag P.f) kits were used for the detection of Plasmodium histidine rich protein 2 (HRP2) antigen as a proxy for the presence of P. falciparum. The diagnostic performance of the usRDT was compared with cRDT, microscopy and PCR.

resultsThe prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum malaria was 40.4%, 42.0%, 47.1% and 54.2% by cRDT, microscopy, usRDT and PCR, respectively. By using PCR as a reference, usRDT had sensitivity and specificity of 87.0% (95% CI 81.4-91.7) and 100.0% (95% CI 97.5-100.0), respectively, whereas the cRDT had sensitivity and specificity of 74.6% (95% CI 67.3-80.9) and 100% (95% CI 97.1-100.0), respectively. By using microscopy as a reference, usRDT had sensitivity and specificity of 96.9% (95% CI 92.4-99.2) and 89.0% (95% CI 83.5-93.1), respectively, while the cRDT had sensitivity and specificity of 96.2% (95% CI 92.3-98.7) and 100% (95% CI 97.9-100.0), respectively.

conclusionThe usRDT showed better diagnostic performance with higher sensitivity than the cRDT which is currently in use as point-of-care test. Further research is necessary to assess the access and cost-effectiveness of the usRDTs to use for malaria surveillance.

Indexed as

Malaria, FalciparumRapid Diagnostic TestsAntigens, ProtozoanCross-Sectional StudiesDemocratic Republic of the CongoHumansPlasmodium falciparumAntigens, ProtozoanAlere™ Malaria Ag P.f usRDTAsymptomatic malariaDemocratic Republic of CongoPlasmodium falciparum

Identifiers

PMID37981691
PMCPMC10658930
OpenAlexW4388809559

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.