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Table 2 Specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of fever as policy recommendations compared with malaria disease*, stratified by transmission intensity and age categories

From: Malaria misdiagnosis in Uganda – implications for policy change

 

Very high transmission districts

n/N,% (95% CI)

Moderate-to-high transmission districts

n/N,% (95% CI)

All districts

n/N,% (95% CI)

All age groups

   

   Specificity

101/403, 25.1 (19.7–30.5)

208/723, 28.8 (24.7–32.9)

309/1126, 27.4 (24.2–30.7)

   PPV

175/477, 36.7 (32.1–41.3)

184/699, 26.3 (22.4–30.3)

359/1176, 30.5 (27.4–33.6)

Patients <5 years

   

   Specificity

16/102, 15.7 (7.9–23.4)

40/190, 21.1 (15.8–26.3)

56/292, 19.2 (14.9–23.5)

   PPV

104/190, 54.7 (49.1–60.4)

98/248, 39.5 (31.8–47.3)

202/438, 46.1 (41.0–51.3)

Patients ≥5 years

   

   Specificity

85/301, 28.2 (21.7–34.7)

168/533, 31.5 (26.4–36.6)

253/834, 30.3 (26.4–34.3)

   PPV

71/287, 24.7 (20.0–29.5)

86/451, 19.1 (15.1–23.0)

157/738, 21.3 (18.2–24.3)

  1. * Defined as any malaria parasitaemia on expert slide examination in patient with fever