PMID- 17166271
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20070306
LR  - 20181113
IS  - 1475-2875 (Electronic)
IS  - 1475-2875 (Linking)
VI  - 5
DP  - 2006 Dec 13
TI  - Over-diagnosis of malaria is not a lost cause.
PG  - 120
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent studies have highlighted the over-diagnosis of malaria in 
      clinical settings in Africa. This study assessed the impact of a training 
      programme implemented as part of an intervention trial on diagnostic behaviour of 
      clinicians in a rural district hospital in a low-moderate malaria transmission 
      setting. METHODS: From the beginning of 2005, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) 
      of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in infants (IPTi) has been 
      conducted at the study hospital. As part of the RCT, the study team offered 
      laboratory quality assurance, and supervision and training of paediatric ward 
      staff using information on malaria epidemiology in the community. Data on 
      clinical and blood slide confirmed cases of malaria from 2001 to 2005 were 
      extracted from the hospital records. RESULTS: The proportion of blood slides 
      positive for malaria parasites had decreased from 21% in 2001 to 7% in 2005 (p < 
      .01). The proportion of outpatient and inpatient cases diagnosed as malaria 
      ranged between 34% and 28% from 2001 to 2004 and this decreased substantially to 
      17% after the introduction of the package of training and support in 2005 (p < 
      .01). There was no clear trend in the ratio of blood slide examined versus total 
      diagnosis of malaria. CONCLUSION: It may be possible to change the diagnostic 
      behaviour of clinicians by rigorous training using local malaria epidemiology 
      data and supportive supervision.
FAU - Masika, Paul M
AU  - Masika PM
AD  - Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College, PO 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. 
      pmasika75@yahoo.com <pmasika75@yahoo.com>
FAU - Semarundu, Waziri J
AU  - Semarundu WJ
FAU - Urassa, Raymond
AU  - Urassa R
FAU - Mosha, Jackline
AU  - Mosha J
FAU - Chandramohan, Daniel
AU  - Chandramohan D
FAU - Gosling, Roly D
AU  - Gosling RD
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
DEP - 20061213
PL  - England
TA  - Malar J
JT  - Malaria journal
JID - 101139802
SB  - IM
MH  - Clinical Laboratory Techniques/standards
MH  - Diagnostic Errors/*prevention & control
MH  - Humans
MH  - Infant
MH  - Malaria/blood/*parasitology/*prevention & control
MH  - Microscopy, Polarization/methods/*standards
PMC - PMC1712345
EDAT- 2006/12/15 09:00
MHDA- 2007/03/07 09:00
PMCR- 2006/12/13
CRDT- 2006/12/15 09:00
PHST- 2006/09/28 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/12/13 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/12/15 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/03/07 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/12/15 09:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2006/12/13 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 1475-2875-5-120 [pii]
AID - 10.1186/1475-2875-5-120 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Malar J. 2006 Dec 13;5:120. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-5-120.