Abstract
BackgroundTo examine performance of the identification and estimation of percentage parasitaemia of Plasmodium falciparum in stained blood films distributed in the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UKNEQAS) Blood Parasitology Scheme.MethodsAnalysis of performance for the diagnosis and estimation of the percentage parasitaemia of P. falciparum in Giemsa-stained thin blood films was made over a 15-year period to look for trends in performance.ResultsAn average of 25% of participants failed to estimate the percentage parasitaemia, 17% overestimated and 8% underestimated, whilst 5% misidentified the malaria species present.ConclusionsAlthough the results achieved by participants for other blood parasites have shown an overall improvement, the level of performance for estimation of the parasitaemia of P. falciparum remains unchanged over 15 years. Possible reasons include incorrect calculation, not examining the correct part of the film and not examining an adequate number of microscope fields.
Highlights
To examine performance of the identification and estimation of percentage parasitaemia of Plasmodium falciparum in stained blood films distributed in the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UKNEQAS) Blood Parasitology Scheme
In the UK, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 imported cases of malaria reported each year [1]. of which about 10 percent are seen at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, with the remainder distributed throughout the UK
The UKNEQAS Blood Parasitology Scheme was established in 1986 in order to improve the microscopic diagnosis of blood parasites by the examination of blood films from patients with parasitic infections
Summary
To examine performance of the identification and estimation of percentage parasitaemia of Plasmodium falciparum in stained blood films distributed in the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UKNEQAS) Blood Parasitology Scheme. In the UK, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 imported cases of malaria reported each year [1]. 12,000 cases are reported annually in Europe [2]. Accurate laboratory diagnosis is essential, to detect infections with the potentially fatal Plasmodium falciparum. The primary method of diagnosis of malaria in most clinical laboratories is still by the microscopic examination of thick and thin blood films. The UKNEQAS Blood Parasitology Scheme was established in 1986 in order to improve the microscopic diagnosis of blood parasites by the examination of blood films from patients with parasitic infections. The scheme was designed to provide teaching material illustrating
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