title: A primer on on-demand polymerase chain reaction technology.
abstract: Efforts to reduce health care-associated infections (HAIs) have grown in both scale and sophistication over the past few decades; however, the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance and the impact of new legislation regarding HAIs on health care economics make the fight against them all the more urgent. On-demand polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology has proven to be a highly effective weapon in this fight, offering the ability to accurately and efficiently identify disease-causing pathogens such that targeted and directed therapy can be initiated at the point of care. As a result, on-demand PCR technology has far-reaching influences on HAI rates, health care outcomes, hospital length of stay, isolation days, patient satisfaction, antibiotic stewardship, and health care economics. The basics of on-demand PCR technology and its potential to impact health care have not been widely incorporated into health care education and enrichment programs for many of those involved in infection control and prevention, however. This article serves as a primer on on-demand PCR technology and its ramifications.
authors.affiliation: Universal Health Services Infection Prevention, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Infection Prevention, Oakland, CA.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Loyola University Medical System Infection Control Program and Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases, Chicago, IL; Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care, Hines, IL.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parada
authors.affiliation: University of Florida/Shands Hospital Department of Infection Control, Orlando, FL.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Perri Consulting, Monroe, NC.
authors.forename: Luci
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Services, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Port Jefferson, NY.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uettwiller-Geiger
authors.affiliation: Freelance Medical Writer. Electronic address: hboehm705@aol.com.
authors.forename: Helen Boehm
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: DDG Associates Alexandria, VA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Antimicrobial stewardship; Clostridium difficile; HAI; Health care–associated infection; Infection control; Infection prevention; MRSA; On-demand PCR; PCR; PCR testing