Evaluation of Feconomics® versus traditional techniques for diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections among schoolchildren in Sohag, Egypt | ||||
| Parasitologists United Journal | ||||
| Article 3, Volume 16, Issue 3, December 2023, Page 177-182 PDF (441.12 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/puj.2023.236435.1221 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| Asmaa Abd Ellah* ; Nada El-Nadi; Shorouk Mahmoud; Amaal Abd El- Mawgood | ||||
| Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) still stand as the foremost obstacles in public health of schoolchildren in developing countries. Rapid accurate diagnosis is essential for implementation, and monitoring of programs for community control of IPIs. Objective: To assess the efficacy of Feconomics® technique in comparison with traditional techniques i.e., direct wet mounts, and formalin ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) for the diagnosis of IPIs in school children. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years. Demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire. All stool samples were microscopically examined by direct saline and iodine wet mounts, FECT, and Feconomics® technique. Concentrated stool samples were stained with Kinyoun’s acid-fast method. Results: The detection rate of intestinal parasites by direct wet mounts, FECT and Feconomics® technique were 16%, 34 %, 58% respectively. The most prevalent parasite detected by Feconomics® was Cryptosporidium spp. (18%) followed by G. lamblia (15%), H. nana (13%), E. histolytica/dispar complex (9%), E. coli (7%), C. cayetanensis (2%), E. vermicularis (2%), and 1% for each of Blastocystis spp., intestinal Microsporidium and A. lumbricoides. The detection rate of IPIs was not significantly associated with age, sex, residence or family size but was significantly higher in autumn than winter (P<0.03). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) of Feconomics® compared with direct wet mounts as gold standard were 100%, 50%, 27.6% and 100% respectively with an accuracy of 58% and area under curve (AUC) of 0.750. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Feconomics® compared with FECT as gold standard were 91.2%, 59.1%,53.4%, and 92.9%, respectively with an accuracy of 70% and AUC of 0.751. Conclusion: Use of Feconomics® is suggested for the routine diagnosis of IPIs in developing countries especially since a centrifuge is not required and it eliminates large stool particles. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| diagnostic accuracy; direct wet smear; Egypt; Feconomics®; intestinal parasitic infections; schoolchildren | ||||
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