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Review
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the performance and operational characteristics of dual point-of-care tests for HIV and syphilis
  1. Harriet D Gliddon1,
  2. Rosanna W Peeling2,
  3. Mary L Kamb3,
  4. Igor Toskin4,
  5. Teodora E Wi4,
  6. Melanie M Taylor4
  1. 1 London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK
  2. 2 Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
  3. 3 Division of STD Prevention, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  4. 4 Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
  1. Correspondence to Dr Melanie M Taylor, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, Geneva 1211, Switzerland; mtaylor{at}who.int

Abstract

Background Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of syphilis and HIV continue to be important yet preventable causes of perinatal and infant morbidity and mortality.

Objectives To systematically review, critically appraise and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the operational characteristics of dual rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for HIV/syphilis and evaluate whether they are cost effective, acceptable and easy to use.

Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources We searched seven electronic bibliographic databases from 2012 to December 2016 with no language restrictions. Search keywords included HIV, syphilis and diagnosis.

Review methods We included studies that evaluated the operational characteristics of dual HIV/syphilis RDTs. Outcomes included diagnostic test accuracy, cost effectiveness, ease of use and interpretation and acceptability. All studies were assessed against quality criteria and assessed for risk of bias.

Results Of 1914 identified papers, 18 were included for the meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy for HIV and syphilis. All diagnostic accuracy evaluation studies showed a very high sensitivity and specificity for HIV and a lower, yet adequate, sensitivity and specificity for syphilis, with some variation among types of test. Dual screening for HIV and syphilis was more cost effective than single rapid tests for HIV and syphilis and prevented more adverse pregnancy outcomes. Qualitative data suggested dual RDTs were highly acceptable to clients, who cited time to result, cost and the requirement of a single finger prick as important characteristics of dual RDTs.

Conclusion The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis can be used by policy-makers and national programme managers who are considering implementing dual RDTs for HIV and syphilis.

Trial registration number PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016049168.

  • diagnosis
  • HIV
  • syphilis
  • systematic reviews
  • testing

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2016-053069

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors HDG, MMT and TW planned the systematic review. HDG and MMT designed the methodology, collected and analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. HDG, MLK, IT, RP, TW and MMT reviewed and edited the manuscript.

    • Disclaimer The author(s) is(are) staff member(s) of the World Health Organization. The author(s) alone is(are) responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the views, decisions or policies of the World Health Organization.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.