The effect of rapid diagnostic testing for influenza on the reduction of antibiotic use in paediatric emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
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 Istanbul, 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(R) 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).


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid diagnosis of influenza in the paediatric emergency department may allow a significant reduction in the over-prescription of antibiotics.
Ozkaya
E
E
Department of Pediatrics, Vakif Gureba Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. minozkaya@yahoo.com
Cambaz
N
N
Coşkun
Y
Y
Mete
F
F
Geyik
M
M
Samanci
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014421:Turkey; D014504:Urban Health
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents