[Urine test strips for cerebrospinal fluid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis]

Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is due to granulocytic pleocytosis of CSF. In developing countries and in hospitals without continuous availability of a clinical laboratory a bedside-method of diagnosing meningitis is desired.

75 CSF samples were tested for granulocytes and protein with reagent strips and the results were compared with those obtained from the clinical laboratory.

All 48 samples with normal cell count were correctly diagnosed negative using reagent strips. Twenty-five samples of 27 samples with granulocytic pleocytosis were correctly recognised as right positive (sensitivity 92.6%; specificity 100%). All 48 samples with normal protein were correctly tested normal. Twenty-one samples of 27 samples with elevated protein were correctly diagnosed right positive (sensitivity 77.8%; specificity 100%).

Testing CSF for granulocytes and protein with urine reagent strips is a bedside-method which allows a rapid and reliable decision whether CSF is normal or granulocytically pleocytotic.