Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-m9pkr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T05:16:16.457Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The argument for rapid influenza polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the COVID-19 pandemic: Quicker turnaround times correlated with decreased antimicrobial use, reduced admission rates, and shorter length of stay

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2021

Avnish K. Sandhu
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
Jennifer J. LeRose*
Affiliation:
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan
Alpana Garg
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
Jordan Polistico
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
Teena Chopra
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
*
Author for correspondence: Jennifer J. LeRose, E-mail: LeRoseJe@msu.edu

Abstract

The innovation of rapid influenza polymerase chain reaction (XT-PCR) has allowed quick, highly sensitive test results. Consequently, physicians can differentiate influenza from other respiratory illnesses and rapidly initiate treatment. We examined the effect of implementing XT-PCR on antimicrobial use, admission rates, and length of stay at a tertiary healthcare system.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Estimated influenza illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States—2019–2020 influenza season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2019-2020.html. Published 2020. Accessed October 23, 2020.Google Scholar
Chi, Q, Dai, X, Jiang, X, et al. Differential diagnosis for suspected cases of coronavirus disease 2019: a retrospective study. BMC Infect Dis 2020;20:679.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dugas, AF, Valsamakis, A, Gaydos, CA, et al. Evaluation of the Xpert Flu rapid PCR assay in high-risk emergency department patients. J Clin Microbiol 2014;52:43534355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balish, A, Warnes, CM, Wu, K, et al. Evaluation of rapid influenza diagnostic tests for detection of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus—United States, 2009. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rept 2009;58:826829.Google Scholar
Steurer, J, Held, U, Spaar, A, et al. A decision aid to rule out pneumonia and reduce unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics in primary care patients with cough and fever. BMC Med 2011;9:56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aoki, FY, Macleod, MD, Paggiaro, P, et al. Early administration of oral oseltamivir increases the benefits of influenza treatment. J Antimicrob Chemother 2003;51:123129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaklevic, MC. Flu vaccination urged during COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA 2020;324:926927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Therapeutic management of patients with COVID-19. National Institutes of Health website. https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapeutic-management/. Published 2020. Accessed October 26, 2020.Google Scholar
Wu, J, Li, W, Shi, X, et al. Early antiviral treatment contributes to alleviate the severity and improve the prognosis of patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). J Intern Med 2020;288:128138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guidance for SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care testing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/point-of-care-testing.html. Published 2021. Accessed February 5, 2021.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Sandhu et al. supplementary material

Tables S1 and S2

Download Sandhu et al. supplementary material(File)
File 18.6 KB