Synovial fluid tests with leukocyte esterase strips improved periprosthetic joint infection detection
Source — Orthosupersite
A prospective cohort study showed that leukocyte esterase reagent strips can play an important role in the rapid diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection when following patients after total joint arthroplasty.
“LE [leukocyte esterase] is a very accurate test for diagnosing PJI [periprosthetic joint infection],” Parvizi said at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2012 Annual Meeting, here.
LE at 2-plus had 100% positive predictive value and 100% specificity. I am not aware of a single test in our armamentarium today that carries the same specificity and positive predictive value,” he said, noting the strips, which are commercially available, cost about 25 cents each and can detect PJI in about 1 minute.