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Table 2 Sensitivity and specificity of reported symptoms for diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia among patients attending a peripheral health facility in Kabale District, SW Uganda

From: Diagnosis and treatment of malaria in peripheral health facilities in Uganda: findings from an area of low transmission in south-western Uganda

Presenting symptoms

Parasitaemia Present (%): n = 750

Parasitaemia Absent (%): n = 856

P- value1

Sensitivity (%)

Specificity (%)

Positive predictive value (%)

Negative predictive value (%)

Headache

633 (84.4)

685 (80.0)

P= 0.02

84.4

20.0

48.0

59.5

Joint pain

586 (78.1)

667 (77.9)

n.s.

78.1

22.1

46.8

53.5

History of fever

579 (77.2)

667 (77.9)

n.s.

77.2

21.1

46.5

52.5

Loss of appetite

476 (63.5)

526 (61.4)

n.s.

63.5

38.6

47.5

54.6

Vomiting

426 (56.8)

445 (52.0)

P = 0.02

56.8

48.0

48.9

55.9

General weakness

423 (56.4)

452 (52.8)

n.s.

56.4

47.2

48.3

55.3

Rigors

138 (18.4)

133 (15.5)

P = 0.03

18.4

84.5

50.9

54.2

Cough

124 (16.5)

195 (22.8)

P = 0.001

16.5

77.2

38.9

51.4

Dizziness

76 (10.1)

112 (13.1)

P = 0.03

10.1

86.9

40.4

52.5

Abdominal pain

73 (9.7)

75 (8.8)

n.s.

9.7

91.2

49.3

53.6

Backache

35 (4.7)

42 (4.9)

n.s.

4.7

95.1

45.5

52.6

Flu-like symptoms

28 (3.7)

30 (3.5)

n.s.

3.7

96.5

48.3

53.4

  1. 1 χ2 values calculated using log likelihood, df = 1; n.s. not significant