Patel HM, Kaur MR, Haris Ali M, Hadi Z, Parikh A, Khan SH, Kamireddy M, Faiz H, Kamani YG, Agarwal A, Al Hasibuzzaman M. Evaluation of non-invasive diagnostic tools for diarrhea: a systematic review of point-of-care tests and biomarkers.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024;
86:2951-2962. [PMID:
38694383 PMCID:
PMC11060204 DOI:
10.1097/ms9.0000000000001946]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background
Diarrhea is a prevalent condition affecting millions worldwide. However, current standard diagnostic methods have many drawbacks. This review examines various non-invasive point-of-care (POC) tests and biomarkers aiding rapid diagnosis of diarrhea from different causes.
Methods
PubMed, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched from 2013 to present for relevant literature. Two reviewers independently assessed included studies' quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist.
Results
The search yielded 1453 studies, of which 39 were included after screening and applying eligibility criteria. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was the POC test in 25 studies, providing consistent sensitivity and specificity. For biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP), fecal calprotectin, and procalcitonin offered high sensitivity and specificity for conditions like acute pediatric diarrhea, microscopic colitis, and inflammatory diarrhea, respectively.
Conclusion
PCR proved the ideal POC test for rapid diarrhea diagnosis, while the procalcitonin biomarker helps differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory diarrhea. Other reviewed tools also demonstrated promising diagnostic performance, though improvements in sensitivity, specificity, and usability are still needed.
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