Rapid diagnostic tests to improve treatment of malaria and other febrile illnesses: patient randomised effectiveness trial in primary care clinics in Afghanistan

摘要

What is the impact of introducing rapid diagnostic tests for malaria on preservers' accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of non-severe fever in a South Asian setting compared with microscopy or clinical diagnosis? Rapid diagnostic tests reduced overtreatment compared with clinical diagnosis. Compared with microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests were more accurate in detecting potentially fatal Plasmodium falciparum and improved targeting of treatment with artemisinin based combination therapy, but they did not reduce overuse of antimalariats in patients who tested negative for malaria.