Prospective study of a real-time PCR that is highly sensitive, specific, and clinically useful for diagnosis of meningococcal disease in children

Abstract

Due to the early administration of antibiotics, meningococcal disease is increasingly difficult to diagnose by culturing. Laboratory studies have shown PCR to be sensitive and specific, but there have been few clinical studies. The objectives of this study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of meningococcal PCR through a prospective comparison of real-time PCR, nested PCR, and standard culturing of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The setting was a tertiary-care pediatric hospital in Australia, and the participans were 118 children admitted with possible septicemia or meningitis. The main outcome measures-sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative ..