Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40492722›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical microbiology2025

The utility of syndromic respiratory pathogen panels: the premise of flexible and customizable approaches.

Julie M Norton, Gaby Dashler, Eili Klein, Heba H Mostafa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Julie M Norton *Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Microbiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Gaby Dashler *Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Eili Klein *Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1304-5289
Heba H Mostafa *Department of Pathology, Division of Medical Microbiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0274-8966

Funding

NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response: Universal Influenza Vaccine Research Activities75N93021C00045 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI PEKOSZ, ANDREW · 2021 to 2025
$23.3M
DiasorinNCEZID CDC HHS U01 CK000589NIAID NIH HHS 75N93021C00045
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Extended respiratory panels have been limited to specific patient populations due to cost and inconclusive clinical utility. Customizing syndromic panels offers a way to balance clinical utility and available resources. In this study, we evaluated strategies and assessed the value of flexible, customized respiratory panels. A total of 200 specimens from symptomatic patients (December 2023 to September 2024), negative for SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV, were tested with the LIAISON PLEX Respiratory Flex Assay-an extended respiratory panel that offers flexibility in target selection. The study assessed additional diagnoses, correlations with institutional and state-wide pathogen prevalence, and whether customizable panels could optimize diagnostic yield. Sixty-two samples (31%) negative for SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV tested positive for other targets, primarily rhinovirus/enterovirus (60%), correlating with local and state prevalence. Weighted estimates for 18,373 symptomatic patients during the study period modeled a prevalence of 14.3% for rhinovirus/enterovirus, followed by HPIV-3, adenovirus, and coronavirus. During the study period, 6% of patients received the standard of care extended respiratory panel order after a negative SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV result, duplicating SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV testing. Leveraging a flexible feature could have resulted in an estimated staff time reduction of 5,545 minutes for a second swab collection and running a second test, in addition to the cost of running two different panels during a single encounter. Local respiratory pathogen prevalence data can guide target selection in customized panels. The inclusion of high-prevalence targets can increase the likelihood of diagnosis from 12% to nearly 30%. Flexibility in customizing targeted pathogen panels could enhance diagnostic value while conserving institutional resources.IMPORTANCERapid and accurate identification of pathogens causing respiratory tract infections can aid in guiding treatment decisions, reducing healthcare costs, and supporting real-time surveillance of infectious diseases within a community. Limitations of clinical utility beyond SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV are primarily driven by cost and the lack of specific treatment options. There is a need to balance clinical gaps with testing cost and diagnostic stewardship. In this study, we evaluated the utility of flexible, customized respiratory viral panels and reportable targets within a broader set of available targets in an extended respiratory panel.

Indexed as

Respiratory Tract InfectionsVirus DiseasesAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolCOVID-19FemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2respiratory panelsrespiratory viral testingsyndromic panels

Identifiers

PMID40492722
PMCPMC12239722

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.