Clinical impact of rapid molecular detection of respiratory pathogens in patients with acute respiratory infection

QUERCI, M.; VIDELA, C.; EKSTROM, J.; MARCONE, D.N.; YPAS, M.; VIDAURRETA, S.; MARCONE, D.N.; YPAS, M.; VIDAURRETA, S.; ECHAVARRÍA, M.; SEOANE, A.; O'FARRELL, C.; CARBALLAL, G.; ECHAVARRÍA, M.; SEOANE, A.; O'FARRELL, C.; CARBALLAL, G.; QUERCI, M.; VIDELA, C.; EKSTROM, J.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY : THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PAN AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL VIROLOGY.

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2018 vol. 108 p. 90 - 95

1386-6532

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a need to demonstrate the clinical impact of using the new, rapid and sensitive molecular assays in prospectively designed studies. Objectives: To study the impact on medical management of a rapid molecular assay in patients with respiratory infections. Study design: A prospective, randomized, non-blinded study was performed in patients presenting to the Emergency Department during two respiratory seasons (2016?2017). Diagnosis was performed by FilmArray Respiratory Panel (FilmArray-RP) or by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results: A total of 432 patients (156 children and 276 adults) were analyzed. Diagnosis with FilmArray-RP was associated with significant changes in medical management including withholding antibiotic prescriptions (OR:15.52, 95%CI:1.99?120.83 in adults and OR:12.23, 95%CI:1.56?96.09 in children), and reduction in complementary studies in children (OR:9.64, 95%CI:2.13?43.63) compared to IFA. Decrease in oseltamivir prescriptions was significantly higher in adults in the FilmArray-RP group (p = 0.042; OR:1.19, 95%CI:0.51-2.79) compared to adults managed with IFA. Diagnostic yield was significantly higher by FilmArray-RP (81%) than by IFA (31%)(p < 0.001). The median time from sample collection to reporting was 1 h 52 min by FilmArray-RP and 26 h by IFA (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The high respiratory viruses? detection rate and availability of results within two hours when using FilmArray-RP were associated with decreases in antibiotic prescriptions and complementary studies and more accurate use of oseltamivir.