PCR using blood for diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: The use of molecular-based methods for the diagnosis of bacterial infections in blood is appealing, but they have not yet passed the threshold for clinical practice. A systematic review of prospective and case-control studies assessing the diagnostic utility of PCR directly with blood samples for the diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) was performed. A broad search was conducted to identify published and unpublished studies. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. Summary estimates for sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic method. The effects of sample processing, PCR type, the gene-specific primer, study design, the participants' age, and the source of infecti

SUBMITTER: Avni T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2815606 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature