title: Point-of-care syndrome-based, rapid diagnosis of infections on commercial ships.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suspicion of contagious disease on commercial ships tends to be poorly managed, as there is little capacity to confirm a case on board except for malaria. Here we implemented a point-of-care (POC) laboratory on one container ship and one cruise ship for the rapid syndrome-based diagnosis of infectious diseases on board.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2012 we implemented a POC laboratory on board a freight ship and on board a cruise ship. The POC laboratory ran a total of six different color-coded, syndrome-based kits incorporating 10 different commercially available immunochromatographic tests. The POC tests were taught within 1-hour as part of training to staff without any previous knowledge in microbiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with terrestrial POCs, specific constraints included the necessity to secure POC devices into the motile ship, to use robust devices, to overcome difficulties in communicating with the core laboratory, and to overcome limited intimacy of patients. However, a total of 36 POC tests were easily performed and yielded contributive negative results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This first experiment indicates that it is possible to run POC laboratories by nonexpert staff after providing rapid teaching course on board commercial ships. Generalization of on-board POC laboratories is expected to help in improving the medical management of staff and passengers.
authors.affiliation: URMITE (Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes), Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouricha
authors.forename: Marc Abdul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Samad
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drancourt
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012767:Ships; D013192:Staff Development; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic