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Relative merits of thick or thin films in malaria diagnosis
IMAGE OF EACH
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
|
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