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The effect of rapid diagnostic testing for influenza on the reduction of antibiotic use in paediatric emergency department
Author(s) -
Özkaya E,
Cambaz N,
Çoşkun Y,
Mete F,
Geyik M,
Samancı N
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01384.x
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , antibiotics , medical prescription , malaise , emergency medicine , pediatrics , oseltamivir , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty) , psychiatry , microbiology and biotechnology , pharmacology , biology , disease
Aim: To determine the influence of rapid diagnosis of influenza on antibiotic prescribing to children presenting with influenza‐like illness in the emergency department in a inner city hospital in İstanbul, Turkey. Methods: Patients aged 3 to 14 years presenting to an urban children’s teaching hospital emergency department were screened for fever and cough, coryza, myalgias and/or malaise. After obtaining informed consent, patients were allocated into two groups. Group 1: patients were prescribed antibiotics after only physical examination; or Group 2: patients were prescribed antibiotics after rapid influenza testing. Nasopharyngeal swabs obtained from all patients were immediately tested in a single‐blind manner with Influenza A/B Rapid Test® for influenza A and B. Results: A total of 97 patients were enrolled, and 33 (34%) of these tested positive for influenza. Although frequency of positive results for influenza between the groups was similar (36% vs 32%, respectively), patients in Group 2 were less likely to be prescribed antibiotics when compared to those in Group 1 (32% vs 100%, respectively, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Rapid diagnosis of influenza in the paediatric emergency department may allow a significant reduction in the over‐prescription of antibiotics.