Point of care testing evaluation of lateral flow immunoassay for diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis in HIV-positive patients at an urban hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, 2017 | BMC Research Notes | Full Text

Point of care testing evaluation of lateral flow immunoassay for diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis in HIV-positive patients at an urban hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, 2017 | BMC Research Notes | Full Text

BMC Research Notes

Point of care testing evaluation of lateral flow immunoassay for diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis in HIV-positive patients at an urban hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, 2017

• Lawrence Kirimi Gitonga, 
• Waqo Gufu Boru, 
• Arthur Kwena, 
• Marybeth Maritim, 
• Joyce Wamicwe & 
• James Ransom 

BMC Research Notes volume 12, Article number: 797 (2019) Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) against latex agglutination (LA), India ink and culture in point-of-care diagnosis of cryptococcus meningitis (CM). We conducted cross-sectional study among HIV-positive patients with suspected CM at Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi, April–July 2017.

Results

Of 124 capillary blood and serum and 99 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, LFA and LA had a concurrence on serum of 94.4%, kappa (0.88), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (91%). LFA and LA on CSF, was 97.9%, kappa (0.96), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (96%). LFA and India ink was 96.9%, kappa (0.94), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (94.1%). On CSF culture, concurrence was 72.7%, kappa (0.43), sensitivity (100%) and specificity (64%) and of LFA on capillary blood, serum and CSF was 100% with kappa (1.00), sensitivity and specificity of 100%.