MONOLERT

Description of Event or Problem

ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY RPTR, 38 CHILDREN (AGES 18 MONTHS TO 17 YEARS) WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE IM USING THE TEST DURING THE PERIOD 10/92 TO 8/93. EIGHTY-THREE PERCENT OF THESE CHILDREN HAD NO EVIDENCE OF EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS INFECTION ON SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION. THE FALSE POSITIVE RESULTS OF THE TEST COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED ON THE BASIS OF ELEVATED ANTIBODY TITERS TO EITHER CYTOMEGALOVIRUS OR BORRELIA BURGDORFERI. CONCLUSION BY THE RPTR IS THAT THIS IS A POOR SCREENING TEST AND IS OF LITTLE APPARENT VALUE AS A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR ACUTE EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS INFECTION IN PEDIATRIC PTS. (*)