The BinaxNOW pneumococcal antigen test: An adjunct for diagnosis of pneumococcal bacteraemia

Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The BinaxNOW pneumococcal antigen test: An adjunct for diagnosis of pneumococcal bacteraemia
 
Creator Tootla, Hafsah D. Bamford, Colleen Centner, Chad M. Moodley, Clinton
 
Subject — Streptococcus pneumoniae; bacteraemia; BinaxNOW; antigen; pneumococcal diagnosis; test
Description Background: Culture remains the diagnostic standard for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia but is limited by time to identification, prior antibiotics and bacterial autolysis. Culture-independent methods for detecting S. pneumoniae include PCR and antigen tests. We evaluated an antigen test on blood culture broth for the rapid detection of S. pneumoniae bacteraemia.Method: We collected 212 signal-positive blood cultures, with gram-positive cocci in pairs, chains or with uncertain morphology. The BinaxNOW S. pneumoniae urinary antigen test, Gram stain, culture and lytA PCR were performed on all samples. Diagnostic accuracy of the antigen test and Gram stain with gram-positive cocci in pairs were compared with culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the composite of culture and PCR.Results: Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated in 26% of samples, 66% cultured other gram-positive organisms and 8% of samples had no growth. Sensitivity and negative predictive values of the antigen test were 100%, specificity and positive predictive values were 87% – 88% and 76% – 81%, but increased to 93% – 96% and 96% – 98% when applied to subsets with gram-positive cocci in pairs, or history compatible with respiratory illness or meningitis. Sensitivity (69% – 75%) and specificity (81%) of Gram stain (gram-positive cocci in pairs) were lower than the antigen test even when applied to the same subsets.Conclusion: Accurate and rapid diagnosis of S. pneumoniae bacteraemia is challenging. Specificity of this antigen test is limited by cross-reactivity with other gram-positive organisms, but could be improved if Gram stain morphology and clinical history are available. The antigen test is a useful adjunct for rapid diagnosis of S. pneumoniae bacteraemia.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor
Date 2021-04-15
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajid.v36i1.244
 
Source Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases; Vol 36, No 1 (2021); 9 pages 2313-1810 2312-0053
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/244/603 https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/244/602 https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/244/604 https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajid/article/view/244/601
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Hafsah D. Tootla, Colleen Bamford, Chad M. Centner, Clinton Moodley https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT