Rapid urinary antigen test (Binax NOW) for diagnosis of S. pneumonia in children with upper and lower respiratory tract infections

To compare the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae by rapid urinary test and blood culture in children with respiratory tract infection and healthy children (controls). Pneumococcal antigenuria was detected in 31.5 % of CAP, 31.5 % of rhinosinusitis cases and 6 % of controls. Pneumococcal antigenuria was significantly more frequently detected in both CAP and rhinosinusitis cases than controls (Fishers exact test; CI 95%, p = 0.01). In no cases of non pneumococcal CAP was antigenuria detected. Compared with blood culture, the specificity of the Pneumococcal antigenuria test was 94%. Nasopharyngeal carrier states for S.pneumoniae in healthy control are very low (6%). We recommend the rapid urinary antigen test to conventional cultural methods for early diagnosis of pneumococcal respiratory infection as a basis for starting appropriate treatment.This study help to inform policy making for the mass infant immunization with PCV7 in our country to decrease incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease.