A Comparative Evaluation of Laboratory Diagnosis of Malaria : Microscopy Versus Rapid Diagnostic Test

Abstract

Introduction : Rapid detection and effective treatment of malaria is a prerequisite in reducing the morbidity
and mortality due to the disease. The Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have opened a new and exciting avenue
in rapid malaria diagnosis. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of Rapid Diagnostic Test to Microscopic
examination in diagnosis of malaria. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted at MediCiti
Institute of Medical Sciences, Medchal from July 2015 to June 2016. Blood samples were collected from
986 clinically suspected malarial cases and subjected to both blood smear microscopy and a rapid diagnostic
test (ADVANTAGE MAL CARD) for detection of malaria parasites and antigens, respectively. Results:
Out of the 986 fever cases included in the study, 36 (3.64%) tested positive for malaria by Rapid Diagnostic
Test (RDT) whereas 31 (3.14%) tested positive by Microscopy. Sensitivity for the rapid diagnostic test for
malaria was 100% and Specificity was 99.5%. Conclusion: This study shows that the rapid diagnostic test
kit has comparable level of accuracy with microscopy and hence can be used in rapid screening of malaria.
RDTs can be useful in areas where specialized laboratories or even microscopy are unavailable and when
urgent malaria diagnosis is needed by a practitioner without the delay associated with the laboratory.