Use of an HRP2‐based rapid diagnostic test to guide treatment of children admitted to hospital in a malaria‐endemic area of north‐east Tanzania

Abstract

Paracheck had poor specificity in diagnosing malaria in severely ill children; this was likely to be due to HRP2 persistence following recent parasite clearance. The combination of positive Paracheck and negative blood slide results identified a group of children at high risk of non-typhi Salmonella infection. While Paracheck was highly sensitive, some high-density infections were missed. For children with severe febrile illness, at least two reliable negative parasitological test results should be available to justify withholding antimalarial treatment; the optimal choice of these has yet to be identified.