ABSTRACT
Prompt and reliable diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is essential for early initiation of antifungal therapy. We evaluated bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid IMMY Sona Aspergillus lateral-flow assay (IMMY LFA) in 92 individuals with suspected pulmonary infection. Sensitivity and specificity (vs. host factor but no IPA) of BAL IMMY LFA for diagnosis of IPA in individuals with any European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-defied "host factor" were 67% and 85%, respectively. Performance appeared better in individuals with renal transplantation (100%, 100%), compared to those with hematological malignancy and/or allogenic stem cell transplantation (70%, 78%). We found BAL IMMY LFA to be a convenient and useful addition to our diagnostic armory for IPA. LAY ABSTRACT: We evaluated a new test for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis from bronchoscopy samples. We tested 92 people and found that it was 67% sensitive and 85% specific (compared to diagnosis according to a set of internationally recognised criteria). We found this test convenient and useful.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Fungal/analysis , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/microbiology , Chromatography, Affinity/methods , Chromatography, Affinity/standards , Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis/diagnosis , Aged , Aspergillus/chemistry , Chromatography, Affinity/instrumentation , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Point-of-Care Testing/standards , Prospective Studies , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Four similar-looking preparations containing 4% chlorhexidine ('Hibiscrub', Surgiscrub', 'Uniscrub', 'Macrocide') were compared in a single-blind, randomized study in a group of 73 volunteers. The volunteers washed their hands with each preparation ten times over 9 h, one preparation day-1 on each of four days over two weeks. The acceptability of the agents was assessed using visual analogue scales which were analysed by paired t-test. There were marked differences between the products. 'Uniscrub' smelled worse (P less than 0.003) and felt worse than the others (P less than 0.003). 'Hibiscrub' lathered well but 'Macrocide' was found easiest to rinse off. 'Hibiscrub' and 'Surgiscrub' were the least irritant and had the best visual appearance. Despite apparent similarities, these chlorhexidine formulations varied in acceptability to users.
