Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Background

The use of point-of-care testing (POCT) for influenza is not routine in many hospitals in the United Kngdom and testing is currently by laboratory-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. This review aims to evaluate patients who were tested positive for influenza in the last winter season and project if future POCT usage at initial point of patient assessment could assist in better utilisation of healthcare resources.

Methods

Retrospective review in a district general hospital without POCT facility for influenza. Medical records of patients who tested positive for influenza during a 4-month period from 1 October 2019 to 31 January 2020 in the paediatric department were reviewed and analysed.

Results

Thirty patients had laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza of which 63% (n = 19) were admitted to the ward. 56% of patients were not isolated at first instance on admission and 50% (n = 9) of admitted patients did not require inpatient management which totalled up to 224 h length of stay in ward.

Conclusions

Routine POCT for influenza can potentially improve management of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms and allocation of healthcare resources. We recommend its use to be introduced in diagnostic pathways for acute respiratory illness in the paediatric population in the next winter season in all hospitals.

Keywords

Influenza point-of-care testing paediatric

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brendish

Malachira

Armstrong

, et al. (2017) Routine molecular point-of-care testing for respiratory viruses in adults presenting to hospital with acute respiratory illness (ResPOC): a pragmatic, open-label, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 5(5): 401–411.

Elf

Auvinen

Jahn

, et al. (2018) Development and evaluation of a rapid nucleic acid amplification method to detect influenza A and B viruses in human respiratory specimens. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 92(1): 37–42.

Lowe

Leung

Karakas

, et al. (2019) Targeted management of influenza A/B outbreaks incorporating the cobas Influenza A/B and RSV into the virology laboratory targeted management of influenza A/B outbreaks incorporating the cobas® Influenza A/B and RSV into the virology laboratory. Journal of Hospital Infection 101(1): 38–41.

Melhuish

Vargas-Palacios

Yaziji

, et al. (2020) Cost evaluation of point-of-care testing for community-acquired influenza in adults presenting to the emergency department. Journal of Clinical Virology 129: 104533.

Reed

Chaves

Daily Kirley

, et al. (2015) Estimating influenza disease burden from population-based surveillance data in the United States. PloS One 10(3): e0118369.

Public Health England (2019) Point of Care Tests for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Winter 2019 to 2020. London: PHE publications.

Vos

Bruning

Reitsma

, et al. (2019) Rapid molecular tests for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory viruses: a systematic review of diagnostic accuracy and clinical impact studies. Clinical Infectious Diseases 69(7): 1243–1253.

Single centre experience: Managing seasonal influenza without a point-of-care test