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The inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid on commercial test strip reactions for haematuria is demonstrated in vitro. A new test strip containing iodate is shown to be insensitive to even high ascorbic acid concentrations in the same in vitro experiments.
In order to develop a rapid and simple method based on chemical alterations in gingival pockets during inflammation, the HEMASTIX strips were used to record the degree of gingivitis. This dehydrated test strip records the presence of both hemoglobin derived from erythrocytes and myeloperoxidase from PMN-leukocytes. The intensity of the blue color that appeared and the amount of adsorbed fluid were recorded. The correlation of the Strip Index with Gingival Index was highly significant (P is less than 0.001) and with Gingival Bleeding Index significant (P is less than 0.01). When determined both from the left side of the upper jaw and from the Ramfjord teeth, the correlation between these two areas was highly significant (P is less than 0.001) in the case of Strip Index but only slightly significant (P is less than 0.05) with Gingival Index. According to the present results the Strip Index can be used for the assessment of biochemical changes in gingival pockets resulting from the development of gingivitis.
The ability of several anaerobic bacteria to hydrolyze esculin to esculetin is used by clinical microbiologists and taxonomists in the differentiation and identification of both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. Conventional methods used for determining esculin hydrolysis by anaerobic bacteria require 24 to 48 h for completion. In this paper we evaluate two procedures which yield rapid results. A total of 738 anaerobic bacteria were used in this study. A total of 99% of the esculin-hydrolyzing anaerobic bacteria gave positive results with the spot test in 1 h, whereas the other test method, the PathoTec strip test (General Diagnostics, Morris Plains, N.J.), required 4 h for 96% of the strains tested to yield positive reactions. Both tests showed a 100% specificity when compared with the standard broth test and are easy to perform, accurate, and economical. The spot test is superior to the PathoTec strip test in yielding results more rapidly.
An individualized, blood glucose self-monitoring procedure for those who are visually impaired must be developed, taught, practiced, observed, and reviewed. Effective teaching requires understanding functional vision loss, observing safety precautions, organizing the work area, obtaining an adequate blood sample, ensuring accurate placement of blood on the strip, and cleaning up. Thoroughness and repetition enable the visually impaired person to perform the procedure safely and confidently.
A new semiquantitative immunochemical test strip for urinary alpha 1-microglobulin, a marker protein for tubular proteinuria, was assessed. This test strip has four colour zones, reflecting alpha 1-microglobulin concentrations of ca. 10, 25, 50, and 80 mg/l. alpha 1-Microglobulin concentrations were measured by means of the test strip and an immunonephelometric method in 330 samples collected as the second voided morning urine. The reading time of the test strip must be strictly observed. Reading one minute earlier or later than the 5 min stated in the instructions led to misclassification of over 70% of the results. Correlation between both methods was highly significant, with a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of rs = 0.84 (P < 0.001). There was a partial overlap of the test strip results in different concentration ranges. An elevation of alpha 1-microglobulin was defined as > 25 mg/l, calculated as the upper limit of the central 95% interval of alpha 1-microglobulin concentration in urine samples measured in a previous study of 304 healthy adults. Using this definition of alpha 1-microglobulin elevation, a sensitivity of 97.5%, specificity of 73.6%, a false-positive rate of 16.6%, and a false-negative rate of 0.9% of the test strip results were obtained. A fraction of 82.4% of the 330 samples investigated was correctly classified as having increased alpha 1-microglobulin concentration or not. Methodical improvements of the test strip are necessary to reduce overlapping results, in order to make the test suitable for screening purposes.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the importance of color discrimination ability regarding accuracy in the self-monitoring of blood glucose. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two hundred two insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic patients performed the Fansworth-Munsell 100-hue test and a second group of 159 type I diabetic patients performed a new Düsseldorf 26-hue test. Error scores in both tests were compared with error scores of patients' self-monitoring of blood glucose measurements with Chemstrip Haemoglucotest 20-800 strips. RESULTS: Color discrimination ability decreased with age, diabetes duration, and presence of retinopathy. It was independent of the degree of glycemia and accuracy of self-monitoring of blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired color vision by itself is no reason to abandon self-monitoring of blood glucose with visually read strips.
This study sought to determine whether dip stick strip test containing antibody for Plasmodium falciparum histidine rich protein-II (PfHRP-II) antigen could be used for identification of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria in man. The results obtained were also compared with the results of standard microscopic examination. A total of 150 cases were included for the study. Fifty cases were non-febrile cases with no history of malaria acting as control group and the rest 100 cases were having fever and formed the test group. All the cases in the control group was found to be negative for both microscopic examination and strip test. In the test group, all samples that showed positive for P. falciparum by microscopy was also found to be positive for strip test. Whereas, all those samples that were positive for P. vivax in microscopic examination was found to be negative for strip test indicating species specificity of the strip test. In addition, two other cases that were negative for microscopic examination were found to be positive for the strip test. Statistical analysis was done to compare the validity of the results of strip test with that of the results of microscopic examination.
Two methods of vaginal pH measurement have been compared. 100 pregnant women measured their vaginal pH by themselves using indicator paper strips and were afterwards controlled apparently by pH electrode. There was no significant difference between both methods, showing that pH indicator strip measurement is sufficiently reliable for pH determination by the pregnant woman herself.
OBJECTIVE: Guaiac tests for faecal occult blood are still the most commonly performed screening procedure for colorectal cancer. Because both sensitivity and specificity of faecal occult blood testing are critical to cost-effective colorectal cancer screening programs, we investigated a rapid immunological test strip device for bedside detection of faecal occult blood. METHODS: Stool specimen from 100 patients were chosen for this study based on the presence (n = 50) or absence (n = 50) of faecal occult blood as measured with a human haemoglobin ELISA (cut-off level </= 10 micro g Hb/g stool). All specimens were analysed for faecal occult blood by a guaiac test (Hemocare) and an immunological test strip device (Prevent ID CC). RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of the immunological faecal occult blood test strip device were 76 % and 92 %, compared to 30 % and 90 % for the guaiac test. Increasing the cut-off level of the haemoglobin ELISA to </= 20 micro g Hb/g stool, the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 86 % and 83 % for the immunological test strip device and 42 % and 92 % for the guaiac faecal occult blood test, respectively. The highest positive predictive value was achieved with the immunological test strip device. CONCLUSIONS: The new immunological test strip device is more sensitive than a guaiac test for the detection of faecal occult blood, whereas the specificity of both tests was comparable. However, the clinical validity of this new immunological faecal occult blood test strip device for colorectal cancer screening has to be established, yet.
We examined 288 urine samples, using test strips, sediment microscopy, and culture. The ability of the leukocyte esterase and nitrite test strips to detect or exclude urinary tract infection, as defined by a positive culture, was evaluated by probability analysis. We found that the diagnostic efficiency of the esterase-nitrite combination was similar to that of sediment microscopy. Moreover, once the strip test results had been obtained, little additional information was given by microscopy. The importance of estimating the prevalence, or pre-test probability, of infection before the test result is evaluated is emphasized. We conclude that, for detecting or excluding urinary-tract infection, microscopy can be replaced by the esterase and nitrite test strips. If the probability of infection predicted by the test strips is not high (or low) enough compared with medical decision limits, the samples should be cultured.
Recently, a product (SULFITEST; Center Laboratories) has become available for detecting the presence of sulfiting agents in foods. Testing with SULFITEST by the indirect method (ie, holding the test strip above the food product) or the direct method (ie, touching the test strip directly on the food) was associated with false negative results in five out of nine acidic sulfite-containing foods. Quantitative studies also confirmed that low pH conditions and/or the presence of ascorbic acid caused SULFITEST results by the direct method to significantly underestimate known concentrations of sulfites. Dependence on this sulfite detection strip may lead to unrecognized ingestion of sulfiting agents, especially in acidic and/or ascorbic acid-containing foods.
To estimate the accuracy of glucose test strips in measuring glucose concentrations estimations were done in 100 full-term neonates, using Reflotest Hypoglycemie, Dextrostix, and BM-test-Glycemie. Results were compared with those obtained by laboratory methods. None of the glucose test strips was found to be completely reliable but the Reflomat system was found to be the least inaccurate.
The PathoTec Rapid I-D System for identifying Enterobacteriaceae was evaluated with 471 cultures. In 4,910 individual test comparisons, 95.5% of the results agreed, with results of only two test strips, those for esculin hydrolysis and urease production, agreeing with conventional tests in less than 94% of the trials. The PathoTec system exhibited 94.3% accuracy in identifying these cultures in a double-blind study with conventional media and procedures as the alternate system. Two newly developed test strips, for 0-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside and ornithine decarboxylase, were found to be highly reliable.
The API Staph Strip system (API System S.A., Montalïeu-Vercieu, France) was compared with conventional methods for identification of Staphylococcus hyicus isolated from cases of exudative epidermitis in swine. The API Staph Strip was found to provide unique profile numbers, namely, 6-514-151, 6-514-153, and 6-516-153. These profile numbers are not listed in the API Staph Strip data base. It was found that the use of this miniaturized system is preferable to conventional methods for the identification of the causal agent of swine exudative epidermitis.
A test-strip for diagnosing urinary leucocytes (Cytur) was evaluated by 11 centres, on a total of 1985 voided urine specimens. Results were compared with chamber counting of uncentrifuged urine, as well as by microscopic examination of spun sediment. With a reaction time of 15 minutes the test-strip compared well with the other two methods. When urine is allowed to stand, the lysis of leucocytes exaggerates the colour reaction of the test-strip. Red blood cells, bacteria, sperm and nitrite in urine do not influence the results, except Trichomonas which increases the reaction. Ascorbic acid and albumin slightly inhibit the reaction.
The increased urinary excretion of white blood cells is usually associated with morphological features. The widely used urine sediment is not able to provide a proper diagnostic approach, but only some diagnostic aid concerning qualitative aspects (white blood cell casts). The ADDIS count is too elaborate for general practice and hospital management, even under simplified conditions. Neither have the visual field method using uncentrifuged urine and the counting of white blood cells in the counting chamber become routine diagnostic procedure. A new test strip for leucocytes is introduced. As a bedside test in hospital care and general practice it will be able to replace former methods regarding quantitative evaluation of leucocyturia.
A test strip for rapid detection of alpha-amylase in urine was evaluated in 12 patients with an acute episode of acute or chronic pancreatitis and in 16 patients with hyperamylasemia of varying origin. The test strip was positive in 11 of 12 patients with acute pancreatitis and in 8 of 13 patients with hyperamylasemia. In 3 patients with macroamylasemia the test strip was negative. The specificity was 98% in 100 ambulatory patients without evidence of pancreatic disease.
Commercial test strips using the protein error of certain indicators for the colorimetric detection of protein (especially albumin) were compared with a quantitative nephelometric method. The study proved that there is good agreement between the results from the quantitative method and those from the test strips (Rapignost Protein/Combur-8-Test). Both test strips generally shoed a good separation of the segments for semi-quantitative determinations. There was a very good agreement between the test strips in protein-containing urines. In protein-free urines, however, the Combur-8-Test showed a slightly higher proportion of false-positive results.