Thick vs Thin film comparison

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Relative merits of thick or thin films in malaria diagnosis

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COMPARISON OF THICK AND THIN FILMS Feature Thick Film Thin Film Sensitivity for detection Higher: detects low parasitaemia ~5–10 parasites/µL Lower: generally needs ~50 parasites/µL for reliable detection) Species Identification Poor: RBC morphology lost and species-specific features may be difficult Excellent: Parasite morphology and RBC characteristics are readily observed Quantification of parasitaemia Difficult: requires estimation so is imprecise Easier: parasites can be counted per number of RBCs Preparation and staining Longer: requires air drying before careful staining to avoid artefact Faster: films are fixed and stained immediately with clearer morphology COMPARISON OF THICK AND THIN FILMS 1. Sensitivity for detection Thick film: Higher - can detect lower levels of parasitaemia ~5–10 parasites/µL Thin film: Lower - generally requires ~50 parasites/µL for reliable detection