This paper defines the variations in the reporting of skin smears between a base and field laboratory in a leprosy control program. Ten percent of all slides read by the field laboratory in a control area were re-read by the base laboratory. There was almost no variation in the reporting of negative slides, but a variation of 1 + was present in approximately 92% of positive slides. Thus, there was agreement in approximately 8% of positive slides. This paper also defines the variations in the reporting of positive slides under "ideal" conditions by describing the results of a study on intra- and inter-observer variations among technicians at the base laboratory. There was between 45% and 55% agreement within observers and about 36% agreement between observers. The results of both studies are compared. Simple guidelines are derived to monitor the reporting of skin smears in leprosy control programs.
BT - International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association C1 -http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2030318?dopt=Abstract
DA - 1991 Mar IS - 1 J2 - Int. J. Lepr. Other Mycobact. Dis. LA - eng N2 -This paper defines the variations in the reporting of skin smears between a base and field laboratory in a leprosy control program. Ten percent of all slides read by the field laboratory in a control area were re-read by the base laboratory. There was almost no variation in the reporting of negative slides, but a variation of 1 + was present in approximately 92% of positive slides. Thus, there was agreement in approximately 8% of positive slides. This paper also defines the variations in the reporting of positive slides under "ideal" conditions by describing the results of a study on intra- and inter-observer variations among technicians at the base laboratory. There was between 45% and 55% agreement within observers and about 36% agreement between observers. The results of both studies are compared. Simple guidelines are derived to monitor the reporting of skin smears in leprosy control programs.
PY - 1991 SP - 76 EP - 81 T2 - International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association TI - Inter- and intra-laboratory variation in the reporting of skin smears in leprosy. UR - http://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v59n1a11.pdf VL - 59 SN - 0148-916X ER -