Publications by authors named "Sarah C Bridge"
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofz419.][This corrects the article DOI: 10.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Central nervous system (CNS) infections remain a major public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, causing 15%-25% of AIDS-related deaths. With widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the introduction of improved diagnostics, the epidemiology of infectious meningitis is evolving.
Methods: We prospectively enrolled adults presenting with HIV-associated meningitis in Kampala and Mbarara, Uganda, from March 2015 to September 2017.
Article Synopsis
- HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis is a major health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for a significant portion of AIDS deaths, highlighting the need for effective diagnostic tools.
- The study evaluated the StrongStep lateral flow assay for detecting cryptococcal antigens in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma from HIV-positive individuals in Uganda, showing high sensitivity and specificity for CSF but lower specificity for plasma.
- While the assay demonstrated strong performance, the lower specificity in blood samples suggests a higher likelihood of false positives in areas with low prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia, limiting its utility in those settings.
Background: WHO recommends Xpert MTB/RIF as initial diagnostic testing for tuberculous meningitis. However, diagnosis remains difficult, with Xpert sensitivity of about 50-70% and culture sensitivity of about 60%. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the new Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) for tuberculous meningitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF