Screening and diagnosis

Classification and risk stratification

Perioperative care

Quality improvement

Patient education

Nonpharmacologic interventions

Therapeutic procedures

Respiratory support

Follow-up and surveillance

Specific circumstances

Preventative measures

Medical management

Surgical interventions

Inpatient care

Diagnostic procedures

Diagnostic investigations

Insufficient evidence to make a recommendation.

Strongly favor this test or intervention.

The WHO criteria for staging African trypanosomiasis evaluates the condition using two key inputs: the result of the cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear and the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count. Based on these inputs, the condition is classified into either the first stage, known as the hemolymphatic stage, or the second stage, known as the meningoencephalitic stage.

Input Parameters:
- Cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear:
  - Negative
  - Positive
- Cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count (cells/mcL):
  - <= 5
  - > 5

The computation involves the following logical checks based on these inputs:

1. If the cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear is Negative and the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count is <= 5, then the condition is classified as the First (hemolymphatic) stage.
2. If any of the following conditions are met, the condition is classified as the Second (meningoencephalitic) stage:
   - The cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear is Positive.
   - The cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count is > 5.
   - Both the cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear is Positive and the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count is > 5.
   - Both the cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear is Positive and the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count is <= 5.
   - The cerebrospinal fluid trypanosome smear is Negative, but the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count is > 5.
3. If none of the above conditions can determine the stage, the result states that the stage cannot be fully assessed.

The program will output the determined stage or provide a prompt to complete the inputs if any necessary information is missing. The interpretation relies heavily on whether the trypanosome is detected in the cerebrospinal fluid and whether the white blood cell count exceeds the threshold of 5 cells/mcL. This systematic approach allows for accurate categorization based on these distinct clinical criteria.

The calculator in question is the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for staging of African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness. This disease is a parasitic infection caused by the Trypanosoma brucei species, and it primarily affects individuals living in or traveling to certain regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

The WHO criteria for staging African trypanosomiasis is a clinical tool used to determine the severity and progression of the disease. It is particularly important because the stage of the disease dictates the type of treatment that should be administered. The disease is divided into two stages: the first stage (hemolymphatic phase) and the second stage (neurological or meningoencephalic phase). The second stage, characterized by the parasite's invasion of the central nervous system, is more severe and requires different treatment.

The criteria include clinical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory findings such as the presence of parasites in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the CSF white blood cell count. 

There are no specific exclusion criteria for the use of this staging system. However, it is primarily applicable to individuals who have been diagnosed with African trypanosomiasis. It is not intended for use in individuals who

African trypanosomiasis

Background

Overview

Guidelines

Key sources