Antibiotic Overuse Curbed by Rapid Test

Overuse of antibiotic prescription in primary care can be curbed with the introduction of a rapid microbiological point-of-care test to diagnose respiratory infections that are proved popular with GPs, as per the National Institute for Health Research funded RAPID-TEST study at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, the University of Bristol, published in the journal Family Practice.

The use of the microbiological point-of-care test – BioFire® Filmarray® v1.7 (bioMérieux) was evaluated in four GP practices in the South West of England over a six-week period. The test can detect 17 different types of respiratory virus and three atypical respiratory bacteria thereby providing results of nasal and throat swabs in around 65 minutes.

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‘Overuse of antibiotic prescription in primary care can be curbed with the introduction of a rapid microbiological point-of-care test – BioFire® Filmarray® v1.7 (bioMérieux) to diagnose respiratory infections that are proved popular with GPs. This quick, affordable, state-of-the-art, point-of-care diagnostics method thereby states to unlock crucial challenges of antimicrobial resistance.’

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The study team assessed the feasibility of using the test in primary care in preparation for a clinical trial, and find out what GPs and nurses thought about using it. Also if the test results changed clinical decisions about diagnosis and treatment were assessed.

Almost 58% of patients had at least one virus and 37% tested negative for any virus or bacteria among the total of the 93 patients tested. 3% had an inconclusive result and 2% had an atypical bacteria.

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The antibiotics were prescribed by the clinicians to 35% before the test and revealed no pathogen after the test. And 25% of patients who demonstrated the presence of a virus after the test had signified the potential of the tests to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.

The study also found that clinicians changed the diagnosis in one in five patients following testing, and they were more certain of the diagnosis after testing, especially when a virus or bacterium was detected.

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"Point-of-care tests for multiple respiratory viruses and bacteria are available in the UK but mainly used in hospital settings. Our study is the first to assess the feasibility of their use in primary care. The results show the potential of these tests to improve diagnostic certainty and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, which is vital in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. This was a small-scale feasibility study and clinical trials are now needed to see if these point-of-care tests can safely and cost-effectively reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care", says Alastair Hay, Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, who led the study.

The study with its quick, affordable, state-of-the-art, point-of-care diagnostics method, states to unlock crucial challenges of antimicrobial resistance.

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Source-Medindia