Diagnosis of neonatal bacteraemia using combinations of tests.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Kite.
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The neutrophil count, immature:total neutrophil ratio, C reactive protein assay, nitroblue tetrazolium test and an acridine orange leucocyte cytospin test were evaluated for the diagnosis of neonatal bacteraemia. The acridine orange leucocyte cytospin test gave the highest specificity and positive predictive accuracy, but was less sensitive than the neutrophil count, C reactive protein assay or nitroblue tetrazolium test, particularly for the diagnosis of bacteraemia caused by coagulase negative staphylococci. No single test gave the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive accuracy of the combined results of the acridine orange leucocyte cytospin, C reactive protein, and nitroblue tetrazolium tests.
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Two cases are described in which extensive use was made of the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test. In the first case the advantages of using this technique to diagnose and control infection is shown; in the second the considerable advantage of the speed of the technique. In both of these cases the test made a material contribution to the management of the patient, and it is concluded that the test brings bacteriological control of the patient within the immediate clinical area, thus overcoming one of the principal disadvantages of the classical bacteriological methods.
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BACKGROUND: In neonates, the acridine orange leukocyte cytospin (AOLC) test has been found to be a highly sensitive test for the detection of infected i.v. catheters in situ, which provides a result in less than 1 hour. Preliminary data suggested that the AOLC test was of limited value in adults. We report here a modification of the test for adult patients with indwelling central venous catheters. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on two groups of 50 adult patients with suspected sepsis and a central venous catheter. The AOLC test was carried out after the clinical decision to remove the catheter had been made. In group 1 patients, a blood sample was withdrawn from the catheter for the AOLC test. In the patients in group 2, an endoluminal brush was used to "sweep" the catheter before the collection of the blood sample. Results of the AOLC test were compared with culture of the removed catheter tip. RESULTS: From the catheters in group 1 (no brush), 17 catheter tips were found to be infected, but the AOLC was positive in only two patients (12%). In group 2 (brush), 18 tips were infected, and the AOLC test was positive in 15 patients (83%). The use of the endoluminal brush significantly improved the yield of the AOLC test (p < .01) to levels reported in neonates. The AOLC test produced no false positives in either group CONCLUSION: When used independently, the AOLC test was not sensitive enough to detect catheter-related sepsis. However, in combination with an endoluminal brush, the AOLC test was much more sensitive and has the potential to provide a simple, rapid, and accurate diagnostic test for catheter-related sepsis, which does not require removal of the catheter.