Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Plasmodium vivax and Nonfalciparum Malaria in Endemic Areas.

CLINICAL QUESTION

How sensitive and specific are rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for diagnosing Plasmodium vivax and nonfalciparum malaria in endemic areas?

BOTTOM LINE

Vivax-specific RDTs were highly sensitive and specific when compared with microscopy (the gold standard) for detecting P vivax malaria. RDTs that can only distinguish Plasmodium falciparum from nonfalciparum malaria were less sensitive.