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Table 2 Comparison of HRP2/pLDH RDT (and light microscopy) against qPCR (reference) for detection of P. falciparum and P. vivax infection in peripheral blood (n = 1162)

From: Accuracy of an HRP-2/panLDH rapid diagnostic test to detect peripheral and placental Plasmodium falciparum infection in Papua New Guinean women with anaemia or suspected malaria

Category/test

Prevalence by qPCR (95 % CI)

Sensitivity (95 % CI)

Specificity (95 % CI)

PPV (95 % CI)

NPV (95 % CI)

Infections missed (per 1000 women)

P. falciparum

 Overall

  RDT

14.7 (12.7, 16.9)

45.6 (38.0, 53.4)**

96.4 (95.0, 97.4)

68.4 (59.1, 76.8)

91.1 (89.2, 92.8)

93 of 171 (54.4 %)

  LM

63.7 (56.1, 70.9)**

97.6 (96.4, 98.4)

82.0 (74.4, 88.1)

94.0 (92.3, 95.4)

62 of 171 (36.3 %)

 Anaemia only (n = 854)

  RDT

10.1 (8.1, 12.3)

18.6 (11.0, 28.4)**

98.4 (97.3, 99.2)

57.1 (37.2, 75.5)

91.5 (89.4, 93.3)

70 of 86 (81.4 %)

  LM

45.3 (34.6, 56.5)**

98.8 (97.8, 99.5)

81.3 (67.4, 91.1)

94.2 (92.3, 95.7)

47 of 86 (54.7 %)

 Symptomatic (n = 308)

  RDT

27.6 (22.6, 32.6)

72.9 (62.2, 82.0)

89.2 (84.4, 93.0)*

72.1 (61.4, 81.2)

89.6 (84.9, 93.3)

23 of 85 (27.1 %)

  LM

82.4 (72.6, 89.8)

93.3 (89.1, 96.2)*

82.4 (72.6, 89.8)

93.3 (89.1, 96.2)

15 of 85 (17.6 %)

P. vivax

 RDT

2.2 (1.3, 3.2)

12.0 (2.6, 31.5)

–

–

–

22 of 25 (88.0 %)

 LM

24.0 (9.4, 45.1)

–

–

–

19 of 25 (76.0 %)

  1. Performance characteristics of RDT against qPCR for detection of infection by species in peripheral blood samples. RDT rapid diagnostic test, LM light microscopy, qPCR real-time polymerase chain reaction, PPV positive predictive value, NPV negative predictive value. Sensitivity was defined as the proportion of true positives (RDT or LM positive) from all matched positive qPCR samples while specificity was defined as the proportion of true negatives (RDT or LM negative results) of all matched qPCR negative samples. Positive predictive value was defined as how frequently the RDT or LM tested positive in matched qPCR positive samples, while negative predictive value was defined as the frequency of RDT or LM testing negative in matched qPCR negative samples
  2. * Liddell’s exact test P < 0.05
  3. ** Liddell’s exact test P < 0.001