Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38745114›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2024

Comparison of malaria diagnostic methods for detection of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections among pregnant women in northwest Ethiopia.

Adane Tilahun, Mulat Yimer, Woynshet Gelaye, Banchamlak Tegegne, Demeke Endalamaw, Fikirte Estifanos, Abtie Abebaw, Aberham Abere

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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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

8 authors.

Adane TilahunDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia. adaneyoha12@gmail.com.
Mulat YimerDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Woynshet GelayeDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Banchamlak TegegneAmhara Public Health Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Demeke EndalamawAmhara Public Health Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Fikirte EstifanosAmhara Public Health Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Abtie AbebawDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
Aberham AbereSchool of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalaria in pregnancy remains a major public health problem in the globe, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In malaria endemic areas, most pregnant women remain asymptomatic, but malaria could still cause complications on the mother and her offspring; as well as serve as reservoirs to transmit infection. Despite these effects, no attention is given to the diagnosis of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections (APIs) using highly sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostic tools in Ethiopia. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare the performance of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect APIs among pregnant women.

methodsA health facility based cross -sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Fendeka town health facilities Jawi district, northwest Ethiopia from February to March, 2019. A total of 166 participants were enrolled by using convenient sampling technique. Socio-demographic features were collected using a semi structured questionnaire. Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected for molecular analysis. Asymptomatic Plasmodium infection on pregnant women was diagnosed using RDT, microscopy and RT-PCR. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of APIs. Method comparison was performed, and Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) was used to determine the degree of agreement among the diagnostic methods. Parasite densities were also calculated.

resultsThe prevalence of API was 9.6%, 11.4% and 18.7% using RDT, microscopy and RT-PCR, respectively. The overall proportion of API was 19.3%. Sensitivity of the RDT was 83.3% as compared with microscopy. Rapid Diagnostic Test and microscopy also showed sensitivity of 50% and 60%, respectively, as compared with RT-PCR. The mean parasite density was 3213 parasites/µl for P falciparum and 1140 parasites/µl of blood for P. vivax.

conclusionPrevalence of API in the study area was high. Both RDT and microscopy had lower sensitivity when compared with RT-PCR. Therefore, routine laboratory diagnosis of API among pregnant women should be given attention and done with better sensitive and specific laboratory diagnostic tools.

Indexed as

Asymptomatic InfectionsDiagnostic Tests, RoutineMicroscopyAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesEthiopiaFemaleHumansMalariaMalaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumPregnancyPregnancy Complications, ParasiticPrevalenceReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionAsymptomatic infectionDiagnosticsEthiopiaJawiPCRPlasmodiumPregnant women

Identifiers

PMID38745114
PMCPMC11092159

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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.