title: The effect of rapid diagnostic testing for influenza on the reduction of antibiotic use in paediatric emergency department.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Vakif Gureba Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. minozkaya@yahoo.com
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Ozkaya
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Cambaz
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Coşkun
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Mete
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Geyik
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Samanci
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents