Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr;54(4):247-254.
doi: 10.1080/23744235.2021.2003857. Epub 2021 Nov 30.

Comparison of rapid molecular testing methods for detecting respiratory viruses in emergency care: a prospective study

Affiliations
Free article

Comparison of rapid molecular testing methods for detecting respiratory viruses in emergency care: a prospective study

Dagfinn Lunde Markussen et al. Infect Dis (Lond). 2022 Apr.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) caused by contagious viruses are common among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). Early detection of these viruses can help prevent nosocomial transmission.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of three rapid molecular methods, namely FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel plus (FAP plus), ID NOW Influenza A and B 2 (ID NOW2) point-of-care test, and an in-house real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, to identify patients with viral RTIs requiring isolation in an emergency setting.

Methods: We included a FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel plus in the initial workup of patients with suspected RTIs during a flu season. The RT-PCR and the influenza point-of-care test were performed as part of routine diagnostics, on demand from the treating physicians. We compared viral detections and compared time to positive test results for each method.

Findings: The FAP plus significantly reduced the turnaround time and was able to identify 95% patients with potential contagious viral RTI. Routine diagnostics ordered by the treating physician had a turnaround time of a median 22 h and detected 87% of patients with potential contagious viral RTI. In patients that had all three tests, the ID NOW2 detected 62% of patients with influenza.

Conclusions: The FAP plus was able to rapidly and reliably identify patients with potential contagious viral RTIs; its use was feasible in the ED setting. Failing to test patients with viral RTI and using tests with long turnaround time may lead to nosocomial transmission of viral infections and adverse patient outcomes.

Keywords: Respiratory tract infection; contagious disease; emergency department; influenza virus; nosocomial transmission.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources