Example 10 - Detection of Plasmodium ovale using a rapid test and microscopic detection in a thick droplet

This example concerns the diagnosis of suspected malaria using a rapid test for the detection of Plasmodium sp. and microscopic detection of Plasmodium ovale in the blood. For this pathogen, which is rarely detected in Germany, a LOINC is used for the microscopic examination. This LOINC asks for the "property" [identified], which asks which Plasmodium species was found.

The procedures illustrated in this example are:

• Rapid test
• Microscopy

The LOINC code selected for the rapid test is specific in the "component" axis, where "Plasmodium sp. antigen" is specified as the analyte. The LOINC code used in the example is not non-specific for the specimen; however, diagnostics are always performed using blood, so the application for a non-specimen-specific LOINC code is a later step. The selected LOINC code has the "Presence" property, which allows the response to describe whether or not antigen was detected.

The LOINC code for microscopy of a thick droplet must be specific to the "component" axis and describe the analyte as "Plasmodium sp". The LOINC code selected here is specific to the specimen and method; however, diagnostics are only performed on blood and using light microscopy, so the application for a specimen- and method-unspecific LOINC code is downstream. The selected LOINC code has the "Identified" property, which allows the response to describe whether no Plasmodium was seen microscopically or which Plasmodium sp. was found.