Discordant results were resolved by a third reference microscopist.
Agreement between the study microscopist and the reference microscopist was 91.7% and a kappa of 0.83.
The reference microscopists used standard solutions of 3% Giemsa to stain the slides.
Assessors of trial laboratory outcomes (reference microscopists and laboratory technologists) were blind to the allocation of the patient.
For quality control purposes, 10% of slides were re-examined by an expert microscopist at a reference laboratory in Blantyre, Malawi.
According to a study published online by The New England Journal of Medicine, the test is 98 percent accurate when compared with positive results from the old method -- examination of sputum by a trained microscopist.
Slides with discrepant results were re-read by a 3rd microscopist.
Slides were read by a trained microscopist for the speciation and quantification of malaria parasites; and a random selection of slides was read by a second trained microscopist to assure quality control.
Thick blood smear was prepared as recommended by the Walker technique [23] and evaluated by a local microscopist.
In case of a difference in results (positive/negative; species diagnosis) between the two microscopists, the blood smear was re-examined by a third microscopist independent of the earlier findings and the third reading accepted as the final result.
