Evaluation of a Rapid PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Meningococcal Meningitis
Open accessAbstract
We compared the results of Gram staining and culture of cerebrospinal fluid to results obtained with a rapid PCR assay for the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis in 281 cases of suspected bacterial meningitis. PCR had a sensitivity of 97% compared to a sensitivity of 55% for culture, and the PCR specificity was 99.6%. PCR results were available within 2 h of the start of the assay.
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In studies assessing meningococcal PCR versus culture, sensitivity ranged from 91% to 100% with a median of 97%, and median specificity was 96% (range 91%-100%).
“Sensitivity in these studies ranged from 91% to 100% with a median of 97% and median specificity was 96% (range 91%–100%).”
From Molecular diagnostics in cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of central nervous system infections (2024) · cites this paper as [63]
The Abstract and Table 2 report 97% sensitivity for this paper’s PCR assay, matching one value in the claim, and 99.6% specificity. They do not report sensitivity or specificity ranges or medians across studies, so the cross-study statistics are not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn studies conducted in the United Kingdom, investigators have been able to confirm 56% more cases of invasive meningococcal disease with PCR than with culture.
“They have been able to confirm 56% more cases of invasive meningococcal disease with PCR than with culture [4].”
From Frequency of etiological agents of acute bacterial meningitis using culture and polymerase chain reaction assay (2021) · cites this paper as [4]
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Cites
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Molecular diagnostics in cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of central nervous system infections
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“(63, 64, 173).”
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- Authors
- Richardson, D. C., Louie, L., Louie, M., & Simor, A. E.
- Affiliations
- Sunnybrook Health Science Centre (CA)
- ORCID
- Simor, Andrew E.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Microbiology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Published
- 2003-08
- Volume
- 41
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 3851-3853
- ISSN
- 0095-1137 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-660X
- PMC
- PMC179789
- OpenAlex
- W1974686143
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Clinical Biochemistry › Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Keywords
- meningococcal meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, cerebrospinal fluid, bacterial meningitis diagnosis, Gram staining, bacterial culture, sensitivity and specificity, molecular diagnosis
- MeSH terms
- Base Sequence, Humans, Meningitis, Meningococcal, Neisseria meningitidis, Reproducibility of Results, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA Primers
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