[Utility of Aspergillus-LFD: first experience in Chile]

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Infectious Diseases
• Diagnostic Microbiology

Background:

• Invasive aspergillosis diagnosis is challenging.
• Current galactomannan assays (GM-EIA) have variable test frequencies due to methodological and economic factors, posing patient risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of the novel Aspergillus-LFD kit.
• To correlate the Aspergillus-LFD kit's results with the established GM-EIA.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study evaluating the Aspergillus-LFD kit against the GM-EIA.
• Performance and correlation analysis of diagnostic kits.

Main Results:

• The Aspergillus-LFD kit demonstrated good performance.
• Excellent correlation was observed between the Aspergillus-LFD kit and the GM-EIA kit.
• Aspergillus-LFD is fast, economical, and simple to use.

Conclusions:

• The Aspergillus-LFD kit is a promising alternative for early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis.
• Its ease of use and cost-effectiveness support its consideration in clinical settings.