Design and performance of a low-cost, handheld reader for diagnosing anemia in Blantyre, Malawi

Bond, Meaghan; Mvula, Jessica; Molyneux, Elizabeth; Richards‐Kortum, Rebecca

doi:10.1109/hic.2014.7038926

Cited by 9 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…7,8 However, they may still be subjected to errors during the collection and chemical analysis of the samples. 9,10 In addition, the extraction of blood samples may bring some discomfort and, like any invasive procedure, can incur additional risks for a patient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the sensitivity of human skin hyperspectral responses to increasing anemia severity levels

2015

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Abstract. Anemia is a prevalent medical condition that seriously affects millions of people all over the world. In many regions, not only its initial detection but also its monitoring are hindered by limited access to laboratory facilities. This situation has motivated the development of a wide range of optical devices and procedures to assist physicians in these tasks. Although noticeable progress has been achieved in this area, the search for reliable, low-cost, and risk-free solutions still continues, and the strengthening of the knowledge base about this disorder and its effects is essential for the success of these initiatives. We contribute to these efforts by closely examining the sensitivity of human skin hyperspectral responses (within and outside the visible region of the light spectrum) to reduced hemoglobin concentrations associated with increasing anemia severity levels. This investigation, which involves skin specimens with distinct biophysical and morphological characteristics, is supported by controlled in silico experiments performed using a predictive light transport model and measured data reported in the biomedical literature. We also propose a noninvasive procedure to be employed in the monitoring of this condition at the point-of-care.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the sensitivity of human skin hyperspectral responses to increasing anemia severity levels

2015

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“…1 E ). An algorithm described in Bond et al ( 17 ) was used to compute the optical density of the sample. Apertures made of black cardstock were placed along the optical pathway to reduce the amount of scattered light entering the sample detector.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Point-of-care device to diagnose and monitor neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings

Keahey

Simeral

Schroder

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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SignificanceNeonatal jaundice, a condition caused by the accumulation of bilirubin in the bloodstream, affects approximately half of all newborns. In high-resource settings, babies with elevated serum bilirubin levels are identified through routine hospital laboratory testing. When identified, jaundice is easily treated using blue-light phototherapy. Low-cost, rugged phototherapy lights have been developed and shown to be effective in low-resource settings. However, jaundice regularly goes undetected in these settings due to a lack of diagnostic tools to measure bilirubin levels. Left untreated, jaundice can lead to permanent neurological damage and mortality, the vast majority of which currently occurs in low-resource settings. In this paper, we present a low-cost method to measure total bilirubin at the point of care in low-resource settings.

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“…Thirteen studies (32%) reported challenges to POC(Hb)T use [13,15,19,29,31,32,47,49,50,54,55,58,60]. Overestimation of Hb concentration (n = 5) and errors in sampling and environmental factors (n = 5) were the most frequently reported challenges.…”

Section: Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Accuracy data were not extracted in three studies due to pooled data with adults and children (n = 2) and use of a non Hb-measuring tool (n = 1) [32,50,62]. Five studies reported accuracy results were clinically unacceptable (Table 2) [15,29,31,32,49]. Test performance varied across studies.…”

Section: Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of point‐of‐care haemoglobin tests to diagnose childhood anaemia in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

Brehm,

South,

George

2023

Tropical Med Int Health

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ObjectivesAnaemia is a major cause of mortality and transfusion in children in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs); however, current diagnostics are slow, costly and frequently unavailable. Point‐of‐care haemoglobin tests (POC(Hb)Ts) could improve patient outcomes and use of resources by providing rapid and affordable results. We systematically reviewed the literature to investigate what, where and how POC(Hb)Ts are being used by health facilities in LMICs to diagnose childhood anaemia, and to explore challenges to their use.MethodsWe searched a total of nine databases and trial registries up to 10 June 2022 using the concepts: anaemia, POC(Hb)T, LMIC and clinical setting. Adults ≥21 years and literature published >15 years ago were excluded. A single reviewer conducted screening, data extraction and quality assessment (of diagnostic studies) using QUADAS‐2. Outcomes including POC(Hb)T used, location, setting, challenges and diagnostic accuracy were synthesised.ResultsOf 626 records screened, 41 studies were included. Evidence is available on the use of 15 POC(Hb)Ts in hospitals (n = 28, 68%), health centres (n = 9, 22%) and clinics/units (n = 10, 24%) across 16 LMICs. HemoCue (HemoCue AB, Ängelholm, Sweden) was the most used test (n = 31, 76%). Key challenges reported were overestimation of haemoglobin concentration, clinically unacceptable limits of agreement, errors/difficulty in sampling, environmental factors, cost, inter‐observer variability and supply of consumables. Five POC(Hb)Ts (33%) could not detect haemoglobin levels below 4.5 g/dL. Diagnostic accuracy varied, with sensitivity and specificity to detect anaemia ranging from 24.2% to 92.2% and 70% to 96.7%, respectively.ConclusionsPOC(Hb)Ts have been successfully utilised in health facilities in LMICs to diagnose childhood anaemia. However, limited evidence is available, and challenges exist that must be addressed before wider implementation. Further research is required to confirm accuracy, clinical benefits and cost‐effectiveness.

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Design and performance of a low-cost, handheld reader for diagnosing anemia in Blantyre, Malawi

Cited by 9 publications

References 6 publications

Assessing the sensitivity of human skin hyperspectral responses to increasing anemia severity levels

Assessing the sensitivity of human skin hyperspectral responses to increasing anemia severity levels

Point-of-care device to diagnose and monitor neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings

Use of point‐of‐care haemoglobin tests to diagnose childhood anaemia in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

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