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[Evaluation of rapid urease test stored in refrigerator]
L C Ornellas1, M Cury, V M de Lima
1Setor de Endoscopia Digestiva, Disciplina de Gastroenterologia, Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP.
Insights
Storing the rapid urease test (RUT) in the refrigerator for up to one week maintains its accuracy for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infections. This storage method enhances the test
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
- Diagnostic Medicine
Background:
- The rapid urease test (RUT) is a widely used, cost-effective diagnostic tool for Helicobacter pylori infections.
- Timely results from RUT are crucial for routine diagnosis in clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a refrigerator-stored rapid urease test (SRUT) compared to the standard RUT.
- To determine if refrigerated storage impacts the clinical applicability of the RUT.
Main Methods:
- Endoscopic gastric biopsies were collected from 104 patients.
- Helicobacter pylori diagnosis was confirmed using standard RUT, histology, and SRUT (stored 1-8 days at 4°C).
Main Results:
- Helicobacter pylori infection was present in 42% of patients (45/104).
- SRUT demonstrated a specificity of 93% and a sensitivity of 88%, comparable to the standard RUT.
- No significant loss of clinical applicability was observed for the stored test.
Conclusions:
- Rapid urease tests can be reliably stored under refrigeration for up to one week.
- Refrigerated storage offers flexibility and potentially simplifies the use of RUT in high-volume endoscopy units.
- SRUT maintains diagnostic accuracy, supporting its use in routine Helicobacter pylori testing.
Unlabelled:
The rapid urease test is an accurate and cheap method, which results are readily available, and broadly used for routine Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosis.
Aim:
The evaluation of rapid urease test stored in refrigerator at 4 degrees C (SRUT) compared to regular rapid urease test.
Patients And Method:
Endoscopic biopsies were obtained from gastric antrum in 104 consecutive patients. Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection was accomplished by rapid urease test, histology and rapid urease test stored (kept in refrigerator by a period ranging from 1 to 8 days).
Results:
Infection was considered present if both rapid urease test and histology were positive. Helicobacter pylori was present in 45/104 patients (42%). Rapid urease test stored had specificity comparable to rapid urease test (93%), with sensitivity of 88%.
Conclusion:
We concluded that rapid urease test can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week, without loss of clinical applicability, and that can make the test even easier to use for routine Helicobacter pylori tests in a busy endoscopy unit.
