Effect of Point-of-Care Testing for Respiratory Pathogens on Antibiotic Use in Children

Abstract

Key Points Question Does point-of-care testing for respiratory pathogens reduce antibiotic use in acutely ill children? Findings In this randomized clinical trial of 1243 children, multiplex polymerase chain reaction point-of-care testing for respiratory pathogens did not reduce the overall prescribing of antibiotics in the emergency department (27.3% in the intervention group vs 28.5% in the control group). Meaning These findings suggest that testing for respiratory pathogens does not reduce antibiotic use in acutely ill children.

Nasopharyngeal detection of atypical bacteria by multiplex polymerase chain reaction panel in acutely ill children was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia

“…In Sweden, for instance, M. pneumoniae was detected in less than 4% of samples in 2015 compared with 18% in 2011, 18 while in Germany 23 of the 2211 (1%) samples tested for M. pneumoniae in 2015 were positive, 19 which is similar to our present finding. In a large randomised controlled trial conducted in the same emergency department as this study but using a different multiplex PCR panel for its nasopharyngeal samples, 11 of the 829 patients (1.3%) were positive for M. pneumoniae, 20 which is again similar to the present result.…”

Detection of mostly viral pathogens and high proportion of antibiotic treatment initiation in hospitalised children with community-acquired pneumonia in Switzerland – baseline findings from the first two years of the KIDS-STEP trial

“…Future analyses of the trial will show if antibiotics were stopped during the participants' hospitalisation. Earlier availability of results from rapid syndromic pathogen testing may prevent antibiotic prescriptions in children with acute respiratory infections including pneumonia, but results from single-centre or retrospective studies have so far been disappointing [17,18]. Judicious prescribing can be aided by the implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship programmes, which have so far not been extended to Swiss paediatric emergency departments [19].…”

A novel test device and quantitative colorimetric method for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) based on Au@Zn–salen MOF for POCT applications

“…[1][2][3] Illness screening and treatment options rely heavily on early detection of disease and tumour biomarkers and rapid diagnosis. 4 In many instances, patients need immediate results from diagnostic tests performed in medical laboratories, even though these tests oen take a long time, necessitate multiple stages of preparation for the sample, and call for sophisticated tools for infrastructural construction and staff with extensive training. 5,6 In countries with few medical resources, POCT has emerged to be an invaluable tool for both patients and their doctors.…”