Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Dec 2;116(12):1191-1201. doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trac072.
This study aims to compare parasitology technicians (ParaTechs) with medical staff parasitologists (MedParas) in terms of diagnostic ability and to assess the actual occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in selected faecal samples from primary health care units (PHCUs).
The study included five PHCU ParaTechs in the El-Kassassin rural area, evaluated using a scoring system for their knowledge, skills, practices and parasitology laboratory facilities. Seventy-five faecal samples previously examined for ova and parasites by ParaTechs were chosen for re-evaluation by MedParas.
The most deficient ParaTechs-related factor was the parasitological knowledge, which scored 23.9% of the maximum score, while ParaTechs had acceptable levels of skills and practices, scored 60% and 61%, respectively. Compared with MedParas, false positive ParaTech diagnoses made up 8.8% of all negative samples, while false negative diagnoses made up 85.4% of all positive samples. ParaTechs underestimated the count or misidentified the type of parasites in one-third of the true positive samples. The overall rate of misdiagnosis among ParaTechs was 53.3% of all samples.
Regular ParaTech training, including culture and staining at parasitology labs, and collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Population and academic institutions are essential to increase ParaTechs diagnostic abilities.
本研究旨在比较寄生虫技术员（ParaTechs）和医学寄生虫学家（MedParas）在诊断能力方面的差异，并评估从基层医疗单位（PHCUs）选择的粪便样本中胃肠道寄生虫的实际发生情况。
该研究包括 El-Kassassin 农村地区的五名 PHCU ParaTechs，通过知识、技能、实践和寄生虫学实验室设施评分系统对他们进行评估。选择了 ParaTechs 之前检查过卵和寄生虫的 75 个粪便样本，由 MedParas 重新评估。
最缺乏的 ParasTechs 相关因素是寄生虫学知识，得分为满分的 23.9%，而 ParasTechs 的技能和实践水平分别为 60%和 61%，处于可接受水平。与 MedParas 相比，ParaTechs 的假阳性诊断占所有阴性样本的 8.8%，而假阴性诊断占所有阳性样本的 85.4%。ParaTechs 在三分之一的真阳性样本中低估了寄生虫的数量或错误识别了寄生虫的类型。ParaTechs 的总体误诊率为所有样本的 53.3%。
定期对 ParasTechs 进行培训，包括寄生虫学实验室的培养和染色，以及卫生部和人口部与学术机构之间的合作，对于提高 ParasTechs 的诊断能力至关重要。
