DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF PANBIO COVID-19 RAPID ANTIGEN METHOD FOR SCREENING IN EMERGENCY CASES

Abstract

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of PANBIO COVID-19 rapid antigen method in nasopharyngeal swab, for screening of COVID-19 infection in emergency cases. Study Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Combined Military Hospital, Multan, from Jan to Mar 2021. Methodology: After taking approval from institutional ethical review committee, total 1539 patients were included in this study according to sample size. With informed consent, nasopharyngeal swab specimens were taken for PANBIO COVID-19 rapid antigen method from each patient presenting as emergency medical/surgical case to Combined Military Hospital Multan as well as for Polymerase Chain Reaction for SARS CoV-2 RNA. PANBIO COVID-19 rapid antigen method and polymerase chain reaction for SARS CoV-2 RNA were performed simultaneously on swabs. Polymerase chain reaction for SARS CoV-2 RNA was considered to be the gold standard for comparison with the PANBIO COVID-19 rapid antigen method. Results: A total of 21 patients had SARS CoV-2 RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction indicating COVID-19 infection. Out of polymerase chain reaction positive patients, PANBIO™ COVID-19 Ag test was able to detect 19 cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy was calculated and found to be 90.47%, 100%, 100%, 99.8% and 99.8% respectively. Conclusion: PANBIO™ COVID-19 rapid antigen method was found to have excellent diagnostic accuracy in detection of COVID-19 infection. It can provide as a good alternate test for screening of masses with a short turn around time of only 15 minutes.

Keywords

• antigen
• covid-19 serological testing immunochromatography
• polymerase chain reaction