Moosa A A, Quortum H A, Ibrahim M D
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kuwait, Safat.
Lancet. 1995 May 20;345(8960):1290-1. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(95)90931-1.
Laboratory examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is not available in many parts of the world, and without knowledge of CSF glucose, protein, and cells, a diagnosis of meningitis may be missed. Testing CSF with urine reagent strips that measure glucose and protein has given variable results. We tested CSF samples from 234 children with suspected meningitis for glucose, protein, and leucocytes with Combur9 reagent strips. The results were compared with those obtained from the laboratory and also interpreted as indicating bacterial or viral meningitis. There was good agreement between the strip and laboratory method of estimating CSF glucose, protein, and leucocytes. All but 4 of the cases of meningitis were correctly identified by the strip method (sensitivity 97%). 2 (2.9%) of 69 cases of bacterial meningitis were judged by an independent observer to be viral, and 2 (3.3%) of 60 cases of viral meningitis as normal. No normal CSF was diagnosed as meningitis (specificity 100%). The results indicate that Combur9 reagent strips can distinguish normal from infected CSF and are of value in the diagnosis of meningitis.
世界上许多地方无法进行脑脊液（CSF）的实验室检查，而且在不了解脑脊液葡萄糖、蛋白质和细胞情况时，可能会漏诊脑膜炎。用测量葡萄糖和蛋白质的尿液试剂条检测脑脊液，结果不一。我们用Combur9试剂条对234例疑似脑膜炎儿童的脑脊液样本进行葡萄糖、蛋白质和白细胞检测。将结果与实验室检测结果进行比较，并解读为提示细菌性或病毒性脑膜炎。试剂条检测脑脊液葡萄糖、蛋白质和白细胞的方法与实验室方法结果吻合良好。除4例脑膜炎病例外，其余所有病例均通过试剂条法正确识别（灵敏度97%）。69例细菌性脑膜炎病例中，有2例（2.9%）被独立观察者判定为病毒性脑膜炎；60例病毒性脑膜炎病例中，有2例（3.3%）被判定为正常。没有正常脑脊液被诊断为脑膜炎（特异性100%）。结果表明，Combur9试剂条能够区分正常脑脊液和感染性脑脊液，对脑膜炎诊断有价值。
