Real-life impact on antimicrobial prescription of Syndromic Molecular Testing in adults hospitalized in infectious disease departments. Respiratory Syndromic Molecular Testing panel: Is it worth it?

Abstract

Background: While sensitive molecular diagnostic tests enable accurate and rapid diagnosis of many respiratory viruses, their impact on antibiotic management remains uncertain. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of respiratory syndromic molecular testing panel in real-life clinical practice.

Method: Retrospective descriptive study involving consecutive hospitalized patients in an infectious disease department who had been prescribed a respiratory syndromic molecular testing panel on nasopharyngeal swab samples (FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2 plus) during hospitalization from October 1st, 2021, to February 28th, 2023.

Results: All in all, 94 out of 210 screened patients were included in the study. Syndromic molecular testing results influenced antibiotic treatment in seven cases: discontinuation in four cases (three virus identifications), changes in two (Mycoplasma pneumoniae positive cases), and initiation in two (negative viral PCRs and one positive bacterial culture).

Conclusion: In our study, respiratory syndromic molecular testing had low impact on antibiotic modification.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Community acquired pneumonia; PCR; Respiratory tract infection; Virus.