ABSTRACT
Background: This study was carried out to determine the frequency of false - positive results during serological screening for the presence of antibodies against HIV-I/2 in blood banks
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January - December 1999 as screening of voluntary non-remunerated blood donor pool for HIV in the public sector blood banks, in all the six divisions of Balochistan. 5000 subjects were screened for the presence of antibodies against HIV-I/ 2. The subjects were all males between the age group 18-50 years, attending the public sector blood banks as non-remunerated blood donors. Strategy I was adopted for initial screening, Strategy II and III were observed in retesting on ELISA, as recommended by UNAIDS/WHO for blood banks
Results: Out of 5000 subjects, 48 [0.96%] were positive for HIV-I/2 on Strategy I, 37 [77% of 48] met the criteria of false positive, while only 11 [0.22% of 5000] were found to be true positive
Conclusion: In blood banks, screening for HIV antibodies is performed for intervention of the positive donations. UNAIDS / WHO Strategy-I is observed on a smaller workload blood banks where donations are less than 20 per day. A high rate of false positive results in serological HIV screening on Strategy-I depicts that the test is highly sensitive but not highly specific. Labeling someone with HIV positive, when actually he is not, forces the health authorities to find other ways of HIV screening in blood banks, which should be much more specific and therefore reliable
ABSTRACT
To evaluate the efficacy of serum and CSF C-reactive protein [C-RP] in differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis. Design: An observational, prospective hospital-based study. Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted at the Department of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, over a period of one year between March, 1999 and March, 2000. Subjects and A randomized group of thirty patients, who presented with clinical features, suggestive of meningitis, were included in the study. C-reactive protein determinations were performed by Latex agglutination method on the serum and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] of these patients. In the present study, C-reactive protein was found to be a more sensitive test for differentiating bacterial from non-bacterial meningitis on initial examination than the usual conventional methods used to diagnose bacterial meningitis. CSF C-reactive protein had a greater sensitivity [92%] as compared to serum C-reactive protein [71%]. C-reactive protein determination in CSF was found to be a useful indicator of bacterial meningitis that can be used to distinguish it from viral meningitis