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Updated: Feb 25, 2026
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Accuracy of on-site tests to detect anemia during prenatal care
Soha Sobhy1, Ewelina Rogozinska1,2, Khalid S Khan1,2
1Women's Health Research Unit, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Background:
Anemia is a substantial contributor to poor pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Access to laboratory facilities is limited; therefore, on-site testing warrants attention.
Objectives:
To determine the accuracy of on-site tests to detect anemia in pregnancy.
Search Strategy:
MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched from inception until March 2016, with no language restrictions, using the terms "pregnancy," "an(a)emia," and "h(a)emoglobin."
Selection Criteria:
Studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of on-site hemoglobin tests versus laboratory-based reference tests during pregnancy were included.
Data Collection And Analysis:
Study characteristics and true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative rates were extracted. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and post-test probabilities were calculated. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of less than 110 g/L.
Main Results:
Ten studies (4239 participants) were assessed. Copper sulfate provided 97% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 88%-100%) and 71% specificity (95% CI 55%-85%); the Sahli method provided 86% sensitivity (95% CI 75%-94%) and 83% specificity (95% CI 68%-93%); and HemoCue provided 85% sensitivity (95% CI 79%-90%) and 80% specificity (95% CI 76%-83%).
Conclusions:
Some on-site tests are accurate and should be made widely available to improve detection of anemia in pregnancy.
