title: Role of ICT malaria immunochromatographic test for rapid diagnosis of malaria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of immunochromatographic test (ICT) malaria p.f/p.v using microscopy as the gold standard diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and sixty patients of both sexes and all age groups with clinical suspicion of malaria were studied. Venous blood was collected for microscopy and ICT. Thick and thin films prepared and stained with Leishman's stain were examined. ICT malaria test was performed and interpreted according to manufacturer's instructions. Data was analyzed using Epi-6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 560 cases were studied, 339 males and 221 females with age ranges between 2 to 73 years. Seventy two (12.85%) cases had parasitaemia (with or without sexual forms). On microscopy 65 (11.6%) cases had asexual-stage parasitaemia and 7 (1.25%) cases had P. falciparum gametocytes only. Thirty two cases were infected with P. falciparum, 29 with P. vivax and 4 had mixed infection. For P. falciparum the ICT was 97.0% sensitive, 98.3% specific, with positive predictive value (PPV) of 78.0% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.8%. For P. vivax the sensitivity was only 89.7%, specificity 97.9%, PPV was 70.3% and NPV 99.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are in concordance with previous studies. Rapid tests though expensive are simple to perform and effective diagnostic tools of malaria. They can be used selectively, though microscopy remains the gold standard diagnosis, economical and accurate if performed by skilled technologists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Mahadev S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Harani
authors.forename: M Asim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.forename: Lubna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khaleeq
authors.forename: Salman N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Adil
authors.forename: Ghulam Nabi
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Kakepoto
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khurshid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002845:Chromatography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan