Contextual factors and G6PD diagnostic testing: a scoping review and evidence and gap map

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Timothy Hugh Barker, Grace McKenzie McBride, Mafalda Dias, Carrie Price, Zachary Munn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2024
• Subjects: Malaria; G6PD; Contextual factors; Scoping review; Evidence; Gaps; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-024-05050-6; https://doaj.org/article/16b63bd7c6014f8cae78671982638a42

Abstract Background Testing for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an important consideration regarding treatment for malaria. G6PD deficiency may lead to haemolytic anaemia during malaria treatment and, therefore, determining G6PD deficiency in malaria treatment strategies is extremely important. Methods This report presents the results of a scoping review and evidence and gap map for consideration by the Guideline Development Group for G6PD near patient tests to support radical cure of Plasmodium vivax. This scoping review has investigated common diagnostic tests for G6PD deficiency and important contextual and additional factors for decision-making. These factors include six of the considerations recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) handbook for guideline development as important to determining the direction and strength of a recommendation, and included ‘acceptability’, ‘feasibility,’ ‘equity,’ ‘valuation of outcomes,’ ‘gender’ and ‘human rights’. The aim of this scoping review is to inform the direction of future systematic reviews and evidence syntheses, which can then better inform the development of WHO recommendations regarding the use of G6PD deficiency testing as part of malaria treatment strategies. Results A comprehensive search was performed, including published, peer-reviewed literature for any article, of any study design and methodology that investigated G6PD diagnostic tests and the factors of ‘acceptability’, ‘feasibility,’ ‘equity,’ ‘valuation of outcomes,’ ‘gender’ and ‘human rights’. There were 1152 studies identified from the search, of which 14 were determined to be eligible for inclusion into this review. The studies contained data from over 21 unique countries that had considered G6PD diagnostic testing as part of a malaria treatment strategy. The relationship between contextual and additional factors, diagnostic tests for G6PD deficiency and study methodology is presented in an overall evidence and gap, which showed that majority of the evidence was ...