Description

Candida infection affects a large proportion of women of all ages. Symptoms include itching, red patches on the skin, cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge, frequent flatulence, vaginal irritation, pain, rashes around the vagina on the outer lips, among others. With CandidaTEST you can find out immediately if you have a Candida infection. The RapiChek HomeCare premium quality test kit is designed to detect the most common problems and infections in a professional environment or at home, in the comfort and discretion of your home.

CandidaTEST is a quick and easy way for women to find out if they have a vaginal yeast infection (Candida). The test result is indicated by the appearance of a line in the test box. The package contains all the items needed for the test: a test cassette, a bag of desiccant, a lubricant wipe and detailed instructions. The test result can be read after 5-10 minutes.

Background
“Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an insidious infection that affects a large proportion of women of all ages, with recurrent VVC (RVVC) occurring in 5-8% of affected women”
(Zhou et. al., 2009). http://iai.asm.org/content/77/9/4130.full.

Symptoms

• Unpleasant breath.
• Heartburn, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation.
• Itching, appearance of red patches on the skin.
• River. Cottage cheese-like vaginal discharge. A burning sensation.
• Frequent flatulence.
• Vaginal irritation, pain, unusual discharge
• Rashes around the vagina on the outer lips
• Burning sensation in the genitals, which may increase when urinating
• A purulent, non-stinky smelling discharge may indicate a bacterial infection, in which case you should have a different test

DESCRIPTION

The CandidaTEST – a rapid diagnostic test for the qualitative detection of Candida antigens in vaginal swabs. The use of the kit is recommended for women suffering from vaginal infections.

CARRY OUT THE TESTING

Do not open this test kit until you are ready to use it. Do not use the test if the pouch is damaged. Make sure you have a watch with you when you test. Make sure that you perform the test on a clean surface, wash your hands before testing! The test can be taken at any time of the day.

1. Remove the device from the sealed bag and place it on a flat horizontal surface.
2. Hold the device steady with one hand. With your other hand, carefully remove the aluminium cover from the top of the purple cap. Attention! The purple cap contains liquid.
3. Remove the sampling stick from its packaging.
4. Push the sampling stick 2 cm deep into the sheath and rotate it approx. 20 seconds. Carefully pull out the sampler!
5. Swirl the tip of the sampler in the liquid in the purple cap for about 20 seconds.
6. Carefully pull out the sampler, pressing it against the inside wall of the purple cap. Throw out the sampling stick.
7. Hold the device steady with one hand. Turn the purple cap counter-clockwise until it sticks (b), then rewind to the starting point (a).
8. Repeat step 7. step two more times. In the final position, the notches on the purple cap and the white base should line up (b).
9. Read the results after 10 minutes. A blue line should appear at check mark C.

In case of a positive result, another blue line should appear at the T test signal. If the result is negative or inconclusive, read the test again after another 10 minutes.
The result should be read within a maximum of 20 minutes, otherwise the test may show a false positive result.

EVALUATION OF THE TEST RESULTS

To interpret the results, first determine whether a coloured stripe is visible in the test sheet in control position C. The strength of the control strip is not diagnostic.

POSITIVE TEST RESULT
If the result window shows a pale light blue to dark blue control strip (C) and a light blue to dark blue test strip (T), the test result is positive.
The test result means that the secretion contains Candida antigens. Consult a doctor as soon as possible to confirm the result and start treatment.

NEGATIVE TEST RESULT
If only a light blue to dark blue control stripe (C) is visible in the result window, but not visible (T), the test result is negative. This test result means that the vaginal fluid does not contain Candida antigens. In case of persistent symptoms or complaints, we recommend that you seek medical advice as soon as possible.

INVALID TEST RESULT
If none of the marker strips appear or only the test strip (T) appears, the test has failed. You will need to perform a new test, following the instructions exactly.

BENCHMARKING
The test is 90% accurate.