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
Review
. 2024 Jun;37(3):252-256.
doi: 10.37201/req/150.2023. Epub 2024 Apr 12.

The role of viral diagnostic tests in respiratory tract infections: moving forward

R Ortíz de Lejarazu  1 , J M Eiros, F López-Medrano, M Montes, A Tagarro, M Tomás
Affiliations
Review

The role of viral diagnostic tests in respiratory tract infections: moving forward

R Ortíz de Lejarazu et al. Rev Esp Quimioter. 2024 Jun.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

The increased knowledge on virology and the increased potential of their diagnostic has risen several relevant question about the role of an early viral diagnosis and potential early treatment on the management of respiratory tract infections (RTI). In order to further understand the role of viral diagnostic tests in the management of RTI, a panel of experts was convened to discuss about their potential role, beyond what had been agreed in Influenza. The objective of this panel was to define the plausible role of aetiologic viral diagnostic into clinical management; make recommendations on the potential expanded use of such tests in the future and define some gaps in the management of RTI. Molecular Infection Viral Diagnostic (mIVD) tests should be used in all adult patients admitted to Hospital with RTI, and in paediatric patients requiring admission or who would be referred to another hospital for more specialised care. The increased use of mIVD will not only reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics so reducing the antibiotic microbe resistance, but also will improve the outcome of the patient if an aetiologic viral therapy can be warranted, saving resource requirements and improving patient flows. Implementing IVD testing in RTI has various organizational benefits as well, but expanding its use into clinical settings would need a cost-effectiveness strategy and budget impact assessment.

El aumento del conocimiento virológico y el mayor potencial de su diagnóstico ha planteado una serie de preguntas relevantes sobre el papel de un diagnóstico viral precoz y así la posibilidad de un tratamiento precoz dirigido para el mane-jo de las infecciones del tracto respiratorio (ITR). Con el fin de comprender mejor el papel de las pruebas diagnósticas virales en el manejo de la ITR, se convocó a un panel de expertos para discutir sobre el posible uso de dicho diagnóstico vírico, más allá de lo establecido en documentos previos acordados para la gripe. El objetivo del panel fue comprender la plausibilidad del diagnóstico viral etiológico precoz en el manejo clínico; formular algunas recomendaciones sobre la posible ampliación del uso de dichas pruebas en el futuro y definir algunas lagunas en la gestión sanitaria de la ITR.

Las pruebas de diagnóstico viral de infección molecular (mIVD) deben utilizarse en todos los pacientes adultos ingresados en el hospital con ITR, y en determinados pacientes pediátricos que requieran ingreso o que sean derivados a otro hospital para recibir atención más especializada. El aumento del uso de mIVD no solo reducirá el uso inadecuado de antibióticos, reduciendo así la resistencia microbiana a los anti-bióticos, sino que también mejorará el resultado del paciente si se inicia una terapia viral etiológica, reduciendo consumo de recursos y mejorando los flujos de pacientes. Asimismo, existen beneficios organizativos en la implementación de pruebas de diagnóstico in vitro en la ITR que requerirán una estimación del impacto presupuestario y un enfoque de rentabilidad para una mayor penetración en su uso clínico.

Keywords: molecular diagnostic tests; respiratory tract infection; viral diagnostic tests.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. López-Medrano F, Alfayate S, Carratalà J, Chamorro-Camazón J, Cordero E, Cruz-Cañete M, et al. . Executive summary. Diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of influenza virus infection. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2023;41(2):111-22. 10.1016/j.eimc.2022.10.010 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Overview | Neonatal infection: antibiotics for prevention and treatment | Guidance | NICE [Internet]. NICE; 2021. [cited 16/03/2024]. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng195
    1. Stamm BD, Tamerius J, Reddy S, Barlow S, Hamer C, Kempken A, et al. . The Influence of Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Testing on Clinician Decision-Making for Patients With Acute Respiratory Infection in Urgent Care. Clin Infect Dis Off Publ Infect Dis Soc Am. 2023;76(11):1942-8. 10.1093/cid/ciad038 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rapid tests for flu reduce spread of disease in hospital - NIHR Evidence. [cited 16/03/2024]. Disponible en: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/rapid-tests-flu-meant-earlier-treatmen...
    1. Jung J, Seo E, Yoo RN, Sung H, Lee J. Clinical significance of viral–bacterial codetection among young children with respiratory tract infections. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020;99(2):e18504. 10.1097/MD.0000000000018504 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms