A modified leukocyte nitroblue tetrazolium test in acute bacterial infection.

The increased ability to leukocytes to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) has been used to detect the presence of systemic bacterial infection. This test has been utilized to evaluate infections and leukocyte dysfunction in children, but has not been extensively applied to traumatized patients or infected volunteers. Moreover, the technic as originally described presented methodologic difficulties. In this study of 889 such patients, a modified NBT test provided excellent differentiation of 63 systemic bacterial infections (NBT score greater than or equal to 10%) from non-infectious fevers, local enteric diseases, and certain viral and plasmodial infections (NBT score less than or equal to 9%). Splenectomy was associated with a transient false-positive score and clinical typhoid fever with a false-negative response