Evaluation of Rapid Urinary Antigen Test Kit for Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children with Pneumonia or Meningitis

Abstract

We evaluated rapid urinary antigen test kit for Streptococcus pneumoniae (Binax NOW S. pneumoniae) in 85 inpatients between February 2002 and November 2002. Diseases of patients were pneumonia in 82 and meningitis in 3. The age range of the patients was from 4 months to 14 years. We studied urinary antigen assay and culture of nasopharyngeal swab in all patients. Three infants with meningitis were measured liquor by the kit.
Two infants with meningitis due to S. pneumoniae showed positive reactions in urine and liquor, but result of 1 infant with meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae was negative. Of 82 patients with pneumonia, S. pneumoniae was isolated from 52 patients and the urinary antigen test was positive in 39. Thirty-eight patients were isolated S. pneumoniae in 39 positive patients and 14 children were isolated it in 44 negative patients. Sensitivity in this test kit was 73.1% and specificity was 96.8%. This test is useful for children as well as adults.