Implementation of FilmArray Respiratory Viral Panel in a Core Laboratory Improves Testing Turnaround Time and Patient Care

Abstract

The FilmArray respiratory virus panel detects 15 viral agents in respiratory specimens using polymerase chain reaction. We performed FilmArray respiratory viral testing in a core laboratory at a regional children's hospital that provides service 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The average and median turnaround time were 1.6 and 1.4 hours, respectively, in contrast to 7 and 6.5 hours documented 1 year previously at an on-site reference laboratory using a direct fluorescence assay (DFA) that detected 8 viral agents. During the study period, rhinovirus was detected in 20% and coronavirus in 6% of samples using FilmArray; these viruses would not have been detected with DFA. We followed 97 patients with influenza A or influenza B who received care at the emergency department (ED). Overall, 79 patients (81%) were given oseltamivir in a timely manner defined as receiving the drug in the ED, a prescription in the ED, or a prescription within 3 hours of ED discharge. Our results demonstrate that molecular technology can be successfully deployed in a nonspecialty, high-volume, multidisciplinary core laboratory.

Rapid detection of respiratory organisms with FilmArray respiratory panel and its impact on clinical decisions in Shanghai, China, 2016‐2018

“…In the present study, we found that 53.8% (60/112) of the patients in the FA‐RP group received antiviral treatment, which is significantly higher than that in the control group (14.3%, 10/70; P < .001). Among those patients who received a positive test result for the Influenza virus, 100% (43/43) were treated with oseltamivir that is notably higher than the 74%‐81% reported in other studies carried out in the United States . Moreover, adjustment of antibiotic therapy was reported for 69.6% (78/112) of the patients in the FA‐RP group, compared with only 5.1% (4/79) in the control group.…”

Clinical Evaluation of the FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel in Identification of Bacteria and Yeasts from Positive Blood Culture Bottles

“…However, the necessity of running one sample at a time might be a rate-limiting step for a rapid diagnostic method for positive blood cultures. The solution might be the establishment of several instruments that can be run in parallel, as was previously described in the case of implementation of the FilmArray respiratory panel in a laboratory (22).…”

Clinical Evaluation of the Luminex NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel

“…Moreover, rapid diagnostic tests have been shown to reduce length of hospital stay and the costs for testing patients with respiratory tract infection (2)(3)(4)(5)(6). Various commercial molecular diagnostic assays, especially emerging multiplex technologies which detect and identify multiple respiratory pathogens, have been adopted by clinical microbiology laboratories.…”