Evaluation du test « SD Bioline Malaria Antigen pf (HRP2) » dans le diagnostic du paludisme à Plasmodium falciparum de l’enfant au CHU de Yopougon (Côte d’Ivoire)

Evaluation of “SD Bioline Malaria Antigen Pf ® (HRP2)” test for the confirmation of children’s Plasmodium falciparummalaria in a hospital setting. In the present study, a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for the diagnosis of malaria has been compared to the thick smear in 243 children suspected with malaria in Youpogon’s University Hospital pediatrics’ consultation and emergency room from the 1 of February to November 11, 2016. Conformity between the two exams was observed in 90.5% of the cases (p=0.01). Factors which statistically influenced the RDT’s reliability were children’s age, presence of difficulty in breathing (p=0.046) and extreme parasitaemia (too high or too low) (p=0.0096). Diagnostic performances were the following, sensitivity: 92.7%, specificity: 87.1 %, positive predictive value: 87.1%, negative predictive value: 88 %, positive likelihood ratio: 7.2 and negative likelihood ratio: 0.1. Authors insist on the necessity of a permanent access to RDT when a thick smear cannot be done in reference sanitary systems. However, caution is needed concerning RDT’s results in children less than 6 months old and those who had low or large parasitaemia.