Abstract
Presumptive treatment of infections often results in irrational antimicrobial use resulting in detrimental spread of drug resistance and untoward side effects. A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is a test that delivers a result earlier than conventional testing methods employed in the past to identify the offending microorganism. RDTs help in early definitive therapy, reduction in hospital stay and cost, and in degree of morbidity and mortality associated with the infection. To select a proper RDT, one should consider how specific and sensitive the test is. Most RDTs gives a qualitative result not quantitative; hence disease severity, monitoring of the disease, prognostication and therapeutic efficacy cannot be assessed. A RDT should be easy to perform, should not require sophisticated machines, and kits should be stable in extremes of temperature. RDTs may be of immense help in remote places where conventional diagnostic facilities are unavailable or lack quality. RDTs hold promise of reasonable diagnostic accuracy if done in a optimal clinical background. They should never be ordered as a shotgun approach to exclude all possible infections but should be used judiciously with appropriate interpretation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Grijalva CG, Nuorti JP, Griffin MR. Antibiotic prescription rates for acute respiratory tract infections in US ambulatory settings. JAMA. 2009;302:758–66.
Hersh AL, Shapiro DJ, Pavia AT, Shah SS. Antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory pediatrics in the United States. Pediatrics. 2011;128:1053–61.
Kerremans JJ, Verboom P, Stijnen T, Hakkart-van Roijen L, Goessens W, Verbrugh HA, et al. Rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing reduce antibiotic use and accelerate pathogen directed antibiotic use. J Antimicrob Chemotherap. 2008;61:428–35.
Caliendo AM, Gilbert DN, Ginocchio CC, Hanson KE, May L, Quinn TC, et al. Better tests, better care: Improved diagnostics for infectious disease. Clin Infect Dis. 2013; 57: S139–70.
McAdam AJ, Onderdonk AB, Laboratory diagnosis of infectious disease. In: Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL, Loscalzo J, editors. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th ed. New Delhi: Mc Graw Hill Education (India) Pvt Ltd; 2016. p. 1501–8.
Rohde RE. Nucleic acid-based analytic methods for microbial identification and characterization. In: Tille PM, editor. Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology, 14th ed. Missouri: Elsevier; 2017. p. 113–43.
Hayward RE, Sullivan DJ, Day KP. Plasmodium falciparum: histidine-rich protein II is expressed during gametocyte development. Exp Parasitol. 2000;96:136–46.
Miller RS, Mc Daniel P, Wongsrichanalai C. Following the course of malaria treatment by detecting parasite lactate dehydrogenase enzyme. Br J Haematol. 2001;113:558–9.
Meier B, Dobeli H, Certa V. Stage specific expression of aldolase isoenzyme in the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium bergei. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1992;52:15–7.
World Health Organisation, Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria, 3rd edition. 2015. Available from: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/162441/1/9789241549127_eng.pdf?ua=1&ua=1. Accessed October 24, 2017.
Voller A. The immunodiagosis of malaria. In: Wernsdorfer WH, Mc Gregor I, editors. Malaria. Vol1. Edinburg: Churchill Livingstone; 1988. p. 815–27.
Olopenia LA, King AL. Widal agglutination test–100 years later: still plagued by controversy. Postgrad Med J. 2000;76:80–4.
Rodrigues C. The widal test more than 100 years: abused but still used. J Assoc Physicians India. 2013;51:7–8.
Parry CM, Hoa NTT, Diep TS, Wain J, Chinh NT, Vinh H, et al. Value of a single tube Widal test in diagnosis of typhoid fever in Vietnam. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37: 2882–6.
Wijedoro L, Mallett S, Parry CM. Rapid diagnostic test for typhoid and para typhoid (enteric) fevers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;5:CD008892.
World Health Organisation. Automated Real Time Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology for Rapid And Simultaneous Detection of Tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance: Xpert MTB/RIF Assay for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary and Extra Pulmonary TB in Adults And Children. Policy update. 2013. Available from: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/112472. Accessed October 24, 2017.
World Health Organization. Xpert MTB/RIF Implementation Manual: Technical and operational ‘how to’: Practical considerations 2014. Available from: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/112469/1/9789241506700_eng.pdf. Accessed October 24, 2017.
World Health Organization. Dengue-Guidelines for Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control. Available from: http://www.who.int/tdr/publications/documents/dengue-diagnosis.pdf. Accessed October 21, 2017.
World Health Organisaton. Handbook for Clinical Management of Dengue 2012. Available from: http://www.who.int/denguecontrol/9789241504713/en/. Accessed October 21, 2017.
CDC. Laboratory Guidance and Diagnostic testing–Dengue. Available from: www.cdcgov/dengue/clinicalab/laboratory.html. Accessed October 21, 2017.
Mohammed FB. TORCH infections. In: Gomella TL, editor. Neonatology Management, Procedures, On Call Problems, Diseases and Drugs. 7th ed. New Delhi: McGraw Hill Education (India) Pvt Ltd. 2014. p.914.
Rohde RE, Viruses in human disease. In: Tille PM, editor. Bailey & Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology. 14th ed. Missouri: Elsevier, 2017. p. 881–915.
Hayden RT, Frenkel LD. More laboratory testing: Greater cost but not necessarily better. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2000;19:290–2.
Tunkel AR, Hartman BJ, Kaplan SL, Kaufman BA, Roos KL, Scheld WM, et al. Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:1267–84.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kundu, R. Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Childhood Infections. Indian Pediatr 55, 233–237 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-018-1324-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-018-1324-2