Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Testing Analyzer for Measuring Peripheral Blood Leukocytes
Published on: March 22, 2022
Decision analysis: point-of-care Chlamydia testing vs. laboratory-based methods
Geoffrey R Swain1, Roberta A McDonald, John R Pfister
1City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, USA. gswain@milwaukee.gov
Objective:
To evaluate and compare the performance of several different methods available for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection, and to explore possible testing and treatment strategies incorporating point-of-care testing versus laboratory-based tests.
Design:
Prospective trial and decision analysis.
Setting:
Large, urban, publicly funded sexually transmitted disease clinic.
Participants:
1,384 female patients.
Methods:
Each subject was tested for Ct infection by direct fluorescent antibody (DFA, Sanofi/Kallestad, Chaska, MN), optical immunoassay (OIA, Thermo Electron, Point of Care and Rapid Diagnostics, Louisville CO), McCoy cell culture (in-house method), and polymerase chain reaction (microwell PCR, microwell assay, Roche, Branchburg NJ).
Results:
Performing a rapid in-clinic test on women who did not meet empiric treatment criteria would have increased the overall proportion of infected persons receiving same-day treatment from 48.6% to 79.1% using DFA or 78.4% using OIA.
Conclusions:
Use of empiric treatment criteria and same-day point-of-care testing for patients not meeting the empiric treatment threshold appears to be an appropriate, useful, and cost-effective strategy for increasing same-day treatment of Ct infections in this population.
