ArticlePloS one2014
Effect of the influenza virus rapid antigen test on a physician's decision to prescribe antibiotics and on patient length of stay in the emergency department.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Clinical Utility of Point-of-Care Tests for Influenza in Ambulatory Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2019Pooled it
- Systematic review of the impact of point-of-care testing for influenza on the outcomes of patients with acute respiratory tract infection.Reviews in medical virology · 2018Pooled it
- Health care costs of influenza-related episodes in high income countries: A systematic review.PloS one · 2018Pooled it
- Impact of Real-Time, On-Demand Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Testing at Point-of-Care on Antibiotic Prescribing and Clinical Outcome in Pediatric Outpatients With Acute Respiratory Illness: A Prospective, Quasi-Randomized, Controlled Study.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2026Trial
- Impact of Rapid Viral Testing on Patient Flow and Length of Stay in a Tertiary Pediatric Emergency Department.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Evaluation of Flu A/B, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV Antigen Combo Rapid Test in Hospitalized Children Under Two Years of Age.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Rapid influenza diagnostic test at triage can decrease emergency department length of stay.Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · 2020Article
- The antibiotic prescribing behaviors of physicians are changed via rapid antigen test practice in the context of rational drug useTurkish journal of medical sciences · 2020Article
- Combining Procalcitonin and Rapid Multiplex Respiratory Virus Testing for Antibiotic Stewardship in Older Adult Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Infection.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2020Article
- Economic and operational impact of an improved pathway using rapid molecular diagnostic testing for patients with influenza-like illness in a German emergency department.Journal of clinical monitoring and computing · 2019Article
- Observational
- The impact of rapid molecular diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses on outcomes for emergency department patients.The Medical journal of Australia · 2019Article
- Influence of time to diagnosis of severe influenza on antibiotic use, length of stay, isolation precautions, and mortality: a retrospective study.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2017Article
- Impact of a Transition from Respiratory Virus Shell Vial to Multiplex PCR on Clinical Outcomes and Cost in Hospitalized Children.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInfluenza virus infection is a common reason for visits to the emergency department (ED) during the influenza season. A rapid and accurate diagnosis of influenza virus infection is important to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescription and to improve patient care. The aim of this study was to examine whether using the Influenza Virus Rapid Antigen Test (IVRAT) in the ED affects the decision to prescribe antibiotics or the length of hospital stay (LOS).
methodsData from patients suffering from an influenza-like illness (ILI) and who were discharged after visiting the ED at Chungbuk National University Hospital were reviewed over two influenza seasons: 2010-2011, when IVRAT was not used in the ED, and 2011-2012, when it was. The numbers of antibiotic prescriptions issued and the ED LOS during these two seasons were then compared.
resultsThe number of antibiotic prescriptions was significantly lower in 2011-2012 (54/216, 25.0%) than in 2010-2011 (97/221, 43.9%; P<0.01). However, the median ED LOS for patients in 2011-2012 was much longer than that of patients in 2010-2011 (213 minutes vs. 257 minutes; P<0.01). During the 2011-2012 influenza season, 73 ILI patients showed a positive IVRAT result whereas 123 showed a negative result. Upon discharge, antibiotics were given to 42/123 (34.1%) ILI patients with a negative IVRAT result, but to only 7/73 (9.6%) patients with a positive IVRAT result (P<0.01).
conclusionsPerforming IVRAT in the ED reduced the prescription of antibiotics to ILI patients discharged after ED care. However, the ED LOS for patients who underwent IVRAT was longer than that for patients who did not. Thus, performing IVRAT in the ED reduces the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics to ILI patients during the influenza season.
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