Characteristic abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid biochemistry in children with cerebral malaria compared to viral encephalitis

Table 2 Cerebrospinal fluid parameters as discriminators between cerebral malaria and presumed viral encephalitis

Cut-off	Sensitivity¹ (%)	Specificity² (%)	Negative predictive Value³ (%)	Positive predictive Value⁴ (%)
	(95% CI)	(95% CI)	(95% CI)	(95% CI)
CSF white cell count <4 cells/microl	100 (76–100)	57 (32–78)	100 (67–100)	66 (43–83)
CSF protein <0.43 g/l	92 (64–98)	78 (52–92)	91 (64–98)	78 (52–92)
CSF glucose <3.4 mmol/l	100 (78–100)	100 (75–100)	100 (75–100)	100 (78–100)
Ratio CSF/serum ADA <0.385	91 (64–98)	100 (78–100)	93 (70–100)	100 (74–100)
CSF LDH < 22.5 IU/ml	75 (46–91)	71 (44–88)	76 (49–92)	69 (42–87)

¹Sensitivity is the true positive rate in percent. It is calculated as the ratio of the number of true positive over the sum of true positive and false negative patients. True positive meant in the context of this study the presence of cerebral malaria in a group of patients with presumed viral encephalitis or cerebral malaria below a certain value of a parameter, the "cut-off". ²Specificity is the true negative rate in percent. It is calculated as the ratio of the number of true negative over the sum of false positive and true negative patients. True negative meant the patient has presumed viral encephalitis if the parameter is above the "cut-off" chosen. ³The negative predictive value is the ratio of the number of true negative over the sum of false negative and true negative patients. Positive predictive value is the post-test probability of a positive test and negative predictive value the post-test probability of a negative test. ⁴The positive predictive value is calculated as the ratio of the number of true positive over the sum of true positive and false positive patients.

ISSN: 2045-8118