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Table 5 Characteristics of P. falciparum samples that were prozone positive or negative for Paracheck-Pf

From: Prozone in malaria rapid diagnostics tests: how many cases are missed?

  

Samples with high parasitaemia (parasite density ≥ 4%)

  

Prozone positive

Prozone negative

Total

p = *

  

n = 29

n = 47

n = 76

 

Demographic and clinical data (expressed as % of total)

   Patients (n= 76)

Children < 5 years (n = 53)

82.8

61.7

69.8

NS

 

Children ≥ 5 years (n = 14)

10.3

23.4

18.4

NS

 

Adults (> 14 years) (n = 9)

6.9

14.9

11.8

 

   Gender ratio (n = 74)

Male/female

40.7

57.4

51.4

NS

   Presenting symptoms

Fever (n = 64)

96.3

97.3

96.9

NS

 

Cough (n = 59)

50.0

11.4

27.1

0.002

 

Vomiting (n = 60)

28.0

45.7

38.3

NS

 

Diarrhoea (n = 60)

28.0

45.7

30.0

NS

   Clinical signs of severity

At least one (n = 60)

64.0

48.6

55.0

NS

   Laboratory sign of severity

Haemoglobin < 5 g/dl (n = 76)

20.7

6.4

11.8

NS

   Signs of severity

At least one clinical or laboratory (n = 61)

69.2

54.3

60.7

NS

Laboratory values (expressed as median and 95% CI)

   Parasite density in % (n = 76)

Median

8.0

6.9

6.9

NS

 

Range

4.0-28.7

4.2-22.3

4.0-28.7

 

   Hemoglobin level (g/dl) (n = 76)

Median

7.2

9.0

8.3

0.0074

 

Range

2.9-12.5

2.5-13.3

2.5-13.3

 

   RBC count (× 109/l) (n = 76)

Median

3.1

3.8

3.4

0.0131

 

Range

1.1-5.3

0.9-5.3

0.9-5.3

 

   Platelet count (× 106/l) (n = 76)

Median

74

90

86

NS

 

Range

12-488

13-390

12-390

 

   WBC count (× 106/l) (n = 76)

Median

10.4

10.1

10.2

NS

 

Range

4.4-19.9

3.2-27.6

3.2-27.6

 
  1. * NS = not significant