Abstract

CACERES G, José Luis et al. Concordance of the diagnosis of malaria in Venezuela in 2003.. Bol Mal Salud Amb [online]. 2006, vol.46, n.1, pp.49-57. ISSN 1690-4648.

A comparative study of the results obtained by parasitological methods (thick blood film and thin blood film Giemsa stained) routinely used for diagnosis of malaria in laboratories at the regional and central level, was made with the purpose of investigating their concordance. Of the 306,810 samples taken during the year 2003 at the national level, 19,414 were evaluated, representing 34% of the positives and 3% of the negatives. The correct classification of the malaria diagnostics was 99.6% with a concordance of Κ=0.99 (optimum); for the evaluation of the diagnostics and Κ=0.98 (optimum) for the species Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. When mixed infections turned up, concordance reached Κ=0.66 (good).

Keywords : Concordance; Malaria; diagnosis; thick blood film; Venezuela.