PMID: 11321276Apr 26, 2001Paper

Diagnosis of pneumonia by community health volunteers: experience of BRAC, Bangladesh

Tropical Doctor
A Hadi

Abstract

The study assessed the validity of community health volunteers'diagnosis of pneumonia in children through simple clinical signs. Data were collected by a group of research physicians who observed the case management performance of 120 health volunteers in Bangladesh where the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee has been providing community-based acute respiratory infection control since mid-1992.1,166 children age 3-60 months were assessed at household level by both a community health volunteer and a research physician. Using physician diagnosis as gold standard, health volunteers'diagnosis of pneumonia was 67.6% sensitive and 95.2% specific. Cohen's kappa for agreement between volunteers and physicians was 0.67. Of the clinical signs elicited, chest in drawing and noisy breathing predicted physician's diagnosis of pneumonia most strongly ([positive predictive value (PPV)] 84% and 79%, respectively). The study concludes that less educated health volunteers can be effectively used in diagnosing pneumonia at grassroots level in developing countries.

References

Oct 12, 1991·Lancet·M HarariJ de Campo
Oct 1, 1995·International Journal of Epidemiology·L H HarrisonR E Black
Aug 1, 1996·Journal of Tropical Pediatrics·D GuptaP Chaturvedi
Apr 16, 1998·Journal of Tropical Pediatrics·J C Pereira, M M Escuder

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Citations

Oct 27, 2006·Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·Samantha Y RoweMichael S Deming
Apr 16, 2004·International Journal for Equity in Health·KR NayarOliver Razum
Oct 8, 2009·Tropical Medicine & International Health : TM & IH·Abdullah H BaquiUNKNOWN Projahnmo Study Group

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