Rapid molecular detection of respiratory pathogens in patients admitted with suspected community-acquired pneumonia: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
ABSTRACT In a randomized trial, we demonstrated that implementing point-of-care (POC) PCR detection of respiratory pathogens in an emergency department (ED) setting did not change overall antibiotic use but led to more targeted treatment and a clinically relevant, albeit non-significant, reduction in length of stay. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic impact of POC-PCR testing in patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the ED. This study is a secondary analysis of a Danish multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) that included patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the ED between March 2021 and February 2022. In the primary trial, patients were randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups: (i) intervention group: POC-PCR in addition to standard care, or (ii) control group: standard care only (SCO). The present secondary analysis focuses exclusively on patients in the intervention group, where both POC-PCR and standard culture-based diagnostics were performed. The diagnosis of CAP was determined by an expert panel. In the intervention group, 145 patients had a lower respiratory tract (LRT) specimens analyzed using both POC-PCR and culture. POC-PCR identified notably more microorganisms compared with culture (187 vs 34). The agreement between positive results obtained by POC-PCR and culture was 6 of 19 (31.6%) for Streptococcus pneumoniae and 16 of 61 (26%) for Haemophilus influenzae. Concentrations of ≥107 copies/mL detected by POC-PCR for S.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 145 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Levofloxacin-Induced Tendon Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- Neuroprotective Effects of Epicatechin against Oxidative Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Quality evaluation and in vitro interaction studies between levofloxacin 250mg and diclofenac sodium 50mg tablets
- Molecular Epidemiology of mcr-1 -Positive Polymyxin B-Resistant Escherichia coli Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) in a Tertiary Hospital in Shandong, China
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.