title: Rapid diagnostic tests apply for pediatric infections at outpatient clinic setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early identification of the etiology of infection is beneficial. Most infections are treated as outpatients. However, facilities for rapid diagnosis are not available in clinic settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied Immunochromatography (IC) and Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) methods to rapidly diagnose pathogens among 31 children with respiratory infection and 12 with gastroenteritis at a clinic in Saitama prefecture, Japan. Pathogens were then screened by multiplex conventional and real-time PCRs and bacterial culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respiratory pathogens were found in 64.5%. Despite the narrow spectrum, rapid tests identified pathogens in 28.6% of cases with a high agreement rate of 89.3% with PCR. Gastroenteritis pathogens were found in 66.7%. E. coli was positive in 3 cases and all were negative for verotoxin by LAMP. The agreement rate of IC and PCR assay was high, 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IC and LAMP are reliable and suitable methods in limited-resource settings for early pathogenic identification, which will help appropriate management, avoid unnecessary intervention, and cost saving.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Ushijima
authors: Aksara
authors: A
authors: Thongprachum
authors: Dinh Nguyen
authors: DN
authors: Tran
authors: Tsuguto
authors: T
authors: Fujimoto
authors: Nozomu
authors: N
authors: Hanaoka
authors: Shoko
authors: S
authors: Okitsu
authors: Sayaka
authors: S
authors: Takanashi
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Mizuguchi
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Hayakawa
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004751:Enteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*