Blood smear collection target for passive surveillance is \ \ \ \ \ of new OPD cases? - Maharashtra CHO - 2020

Maharashtra CHO - 2020

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Maharashtra CHO - 2020

Explanation

Passive surveillance in health facilities like Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) involves screening patients who present with symptoms, primarily fever.
In malaria-endemic regions, it is estimated that fever cases make up approximately 10% of all OPD visits.
Therefore, setting a target to collect blood smears from 10% of new OPD cases serves as a practical benchmark to ensure that most fever cases are tested for malaria.
This operational target aligns with the broader national goal of achieving an Annual Blood Examination Rate (ABER) of 10% of the total population.

Option A: A target of 15% is higher than the standard operational guideline. While increased screening can be beneficial during outbreaks, it is not the routine target for passive surveillance.
Option C: A target of 5% is too low for effective surveillance in most endemic areas. It would likely result in missing a significant number of malaria cases, leading to continued transmission.
Option D: A 20% target is excessively high for routine passive surveillance and is not cost-effective. It is not the standard benchmark set by national malaria control programs.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Malaria surveillance targets and passive case detection helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Meeting the 10% surveillance target is crucial for the early detection of malaria cases, which allows for prompt treatment, prevents onward transmission, and helps in identifying potential outbreaks.
Nurses working in OPDs and primary health centers are at the forefront of passive surveillance. Their diligence in screening all fever cases is a critical public health function under the NVBDCP.
What if? If a health facility's blood smear collection rate is consistently below 5%, it indicates a significant gap in surveillance. This would trigger an investigation by public health officials to identify the cause (e.g., lack of supplies, inadequate training) and take corrective action to prevent a silent malaria outbreak.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keywords in the question: 'blood smear collection', 'passive surveillance', and 'OPD cases'.
Recognize this as a factual recall question related to national public health programs, specifically the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) in India.
Recall the standard surveillance targets. Passive surveillance in clinics is operationally linked to the Annual Blood Examination Rate (ABER).
Remember that the target for ABER is 10% of the population. This is translated into an operational goal of screening all fever cases, which are estimated to be about 10% of OPD cases in endemic areas.
Select the option that matches this established public health benchmark.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Malaria surveillance targets and passive case detection
Stem keywords: Blood smear collection, passive surveillance, OPD cases, target
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Clinical cues: The care setting changes urgency, monitoring level, and the expected nursing action.
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 92-94

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart B (pp 202-403 of 604) p. 122-124