PARACHECK-Pf

    

STORAGE:

Between 4 - 30°C. DO NOT FREEZE.
When the test has been refrigerated at 2 - 8°C, allow the test to come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes) before testing.

MATERIAL REQUIRED:

• Gloves.
• A clock or a watch.
• A permanent marker.
• Clean and dry gauze or cotton.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST:

C : Control window.		A : Sample well.
T : Test window.		B : Buffer well.

TEST PROCEDURE:

ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES WHEN TESTING.

1. Open the pouch. Remove the test and the sample pipette.
   Check the color of the desiccant: it should be dark blue. If it is colorless or faint blue, discard the test and use another one.
2. Record on the test frame: the patient name or code, the date and the exact time: hours and minutes.
3. Clean the patient’s middle finger or ring finger with the alcohol soaked cotton provided.
4. Wipe off the alcohol from the patient’s finger with a clean and dry piece of gauze or cotton.
5. Prick the patient’s finger with a sterile blood lancet provided and discard the blood lancet in a proper container.
6. With one hand press the finger to bring out a blood drop. With the other hand, hold the sample pipette by the middle section and touch the pipette to the surface of the blood drop: the adequate quantity of blood (approximately 5 ml) will be collected by surface tension action.
   IMPORTANT REMARK: Do not try to collect the blood by capillary action or to push blood into the pipette by touching the finger. This would increase the amount of blood taken and lead to incorrect reading of the result.
   The required quantity of blood in the pipette is less than 1 mm. More than this indicates incorrect technique.
7. Apply the blood to the sample well "A". This has to be done immediately after collection as the pipette contains no anticoagulant and clotted blood is improper for testing.
8. Dispense 6 drops of clearing buffer into well "B" by holding the dropper bottle VERTICALLY. Hold the dropper bottle well above the well: the 6 drops must fall freely.
9. At the end of 15 minutes read the results under good light conditions (shady places are not suitable). The test should not be interpreted after 20 minutes.
   IMPORTANT REMARK: At the end of 15 minutes, the test background should be slightly pink or white.
   If the background is red or dark red, too much blood was collected and faint positive results are likely to be missed.
10. Record the result with the permanent marker on the test frame: NEG or PF or INVALID.

TEST INTERPRETATION:

1. Only one pink colored band appears in the control window "C": Test NEGATIVE for P. falciparum.
   
   
   
   
2. One pink colored band appears in the control window "C" AND one distinct pink colored band also appears in the test window "T": Test POSITIVE for P.falciparum.
   
   
   
   
3. No Pink colored band in the control window "C": Test INVALID. These tests have to be repeated.
   
   
   
   
   
   

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