[Urine test strips for cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis].

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is due to granulocytic pleocytosis of CSF. In developing countries and in hospitals without continuous availability of a clinical laboratory a bedside-method of diagnosing meningitis is desired.
METHODS: 75 CSF samples were tested for granulocytes and protein with reagent strips and the results were compared with those obtained from the clinical laboratory.
RESULTS: All 48 samples with normal cell count were correctly diagnosed negative using reagent strips. Twenty-five samples of 27 samples with granulocytic pleocytosis were correctly recognised as right positive (sensitivity 92.6%; specificity 100%). All 48 samples with normal protein were correctly tested normal. Twenty-one samples of 27 samples with elevated protein were correctly diagnosed right positive (sensitivity 77.8%; specificity 100%).
CONCLUSION: Testing CSF for granulocytes and protein with urine reagent strips is a bedside-method which allows a rapid and reliable decision whether CSF is normal or granulocytically pleocytotic.