Study | Year | Reference | Test definition | Incidence of infection | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) | PPV (%) | NPV (%) | Positive LR (95% CI) | Negative LR | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scanlon | 1972 | 49 | Ear swab culture | 8/67 | 100 | 40 | 18 | 100 | 1.56 (1.19 to 2.03) | 0.15 (0.01 to 2.23) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1972 | 49 | Ear swab microscopy: ⩾1 PMN | 8/67 | 88 | 95 | 70 | 98 | 17.21 (5.54 to 53.44) | 0.13 (0.02 to 0.83) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1972 | 49 | Gastric aspirate culture | 8/67 | 88 | 61 | 23 | 97 | 2.25 (1.49 to 3.39) | 0.21 (0.03 to 1.30) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1972 | 49 | Gastric aspirate microscopy: >5 PMN/high power field | 8/67 | 88 | 85 | 44 | 98 | 5.74 (2.98 to 11.05) | 0.15 (0.02 to 0.93) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1971 | 50 | Ear swab culture | 6/28 | 100 | 47 | 43 | 100 | 1.79 (1.05 to 3.04) | 0.16 (0.01 to 2.40) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1971 | 50 | Ear swab microscopy: any PMN | 6/21 | 100 | 93 | 86 | 100 | 14.32 (2.12 to 96.49) | 0.08 (0.006 to 1.12) | |||||||||||
Scanlon | 1971 | 50 | Ear swab microscopy: any organisms seen | 6/21 | 83 | 67 | 50 | 91 | 2.50 (1.12 to 5.57) | 0.25 (0.04 to 1.55) | |||||||||||
El-Radhi | 1983 | 22 | Gastric aspirate culture (4–28 days old) | 44/67 | 71 | 100 | 100 | 64 | 33.65 (2.13 to 519.75) | 0.30 (0.19 to 0.47) | |||||||||||
El-Radhi | 1983 | 22 | Gastric aspirate culture (<4 days old) | 2/21 | 50 | 90 | 33 | 94 | 4.75 (0.71 to 32.00) | 0.56 (0.14 to 2.25) | |||||||||||
El-Radhi | 1983 | 22 | Gastric aspirate microscopy: >3 PMN/HPF (4–28 days) | 44/67 | 82 | 87 | 92 | 71 | 6.27 (2.16 to 18.19) | 0.21 (0.11 to 0.40) | |||||||||||
El-Radhi | 1983 | 22 | Gastric aspirate microscopy: >3 PMN/HPF (<4 days old) | 2/21 | 100 | 90 | 50 | 100 | 7.80 (1.83 to 33.32) | 0.22 (0.02 to 2.67) | |||||||||||
Boyle | 1978 | 12 | Gastric aspirate microscopy: any bacteria | 7/90 | 71 | 78 | 28 | 97 | 3.29 (1.77 to 6.13) | 0.37 (0.11 to 1.18) | |||||||||||
Boyle | 1978 | 12 | Gastric aspirate smear: any PMN | 7/90 | 71 | 72 | 18 | 97 | 2.58 (1.44 to 4.62) | 0.40 (0.12 to 1.29) | |||||||||||
Rigal | 1990 | 45 | Tracheal aspirate culture | 2/11 | 50 | 22 | 13 | 67 | 0.64 (0.15 to 2.68) | 2.25 (0.36 to 14.28) | |||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Axilla swab culture | Not given4-151 | 53 | 86 | 9 | 3.74-151 | 0.554-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Ear canal swab culture | Not given4-151 | 50 | 87 | 9 | 3.74-151 | 0.584-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | ET tube aspirate and culture | Not given4-151 | 59 | 74 | 7 | 2.34-151 | 0.564-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Gastric aspirate culture | Not given4-151 | 48 | 77 | 5 | 2.14-151 | 0.684-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Nasopharyngeal swab culture | Not given4-151 | 59 | 87 | 12 | 4.64-151 | 0.474-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Rectal swab culture | Not given4-151 | 69 | 31 | 5 | 1.04-151 | 1.014-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Skin swab culture | Not given4-151 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 0.04-151 | 1.194-151 | ||||||||||||
Evans4-151 | 1988 | 23 | Umbilical swab culture | Not given4-151 | 80 | 77 | 4 | 3.54-151 | 0.264-151 | ||||||||||||
Leibovich | 1987 | 36 | Gastric aspirate microscopy: ⩾5 WC/HPF or any bacteria | 8/140 | 75 | 68 | 13 | 98 | 2.36 (1.47 to 3.78) | 0.37 (0.11 to 1.23) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Ear swab culture | 9/134 | 78 | 90 | 35 | 98 | 7.48 (4.02 to 13.93) | 0.2 (0.07 to 0.84) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Gastric aspirate culture | 9/127 | 67 | 85 | 25 | 97 | 4.37 (2.33 to 8.19) | 0.39 (0.15 to 0.99) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Gastric aspirate microscopy (pus cells) | 9/127 | 89 | 49 | 12 | 98 | 1.75 (1.31 to 2.34) | 0.2 (0.04 to 1.45) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Gastric aspirate microscopy (pus cells and organisms) | 9/127 | 89 | 80 | 24 | 99 | 4.37 (2.86 to 6.69) | 0.14 (0.02 to 0.89) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Nasal swab culture | 9/130 | 56 | 95 | 46 | 97 | 11.20 (4.23 to 26.69) | 0.4 (0.23 to 0.97) | |||||||||||
Thomson | 1992 | 56 | Umbilical swab culture | 9/136 | 78 | 92 | 41 | 98 | 9.89 (4.96 to 19.69) | 0.2 (0.07 to 0.82) |
↵4-151 The sensitivities, specificities, and positive predictive values relating to these tests are given in the paper and it is therefore possible to calculate the likelihood ratios. However, insufficient data are provided to calculate the negative predictive value or the confidence limits around any of the likelihood ratios. CI = confidence interval; HPF = high power field; LR = likelihood ratio; NPV = negative predictive value; PMN = polymorphonuclear leucocyte; PPV = positive predictive value; WC = white cell