Implementation of influenza point-of-care testing and patient cohorting during a high-incidence season: a retrospective analysis of impact on infection prevention and control and clinical outcomes

Abstract

Implementation of influenza point-of-care-testing and patient-cohorting during a high-incidence season: a retrospective analysis of impact on infection prevention and control and clinical outcomes,

Do point-of-care tests (POCTs) offer a new paradigm for the management of patients with influenza?

“…It has been shown that the potential benefit to patients and the healthcare systems that they present to may be considerable. The study by Youngs et al suggests reduced number of hospital-acquired laboratory-confirmed influenza cases per day (0.66 cases vs 0.95 cases), a shorter median length of stay (5.5 days vs 7.5 days) and increased antiviral prescribing (80% vs 64.1%) [4]. In addition to this, the authors note that by cohorting the influenza-positive patients, trusts were able to collectively release 779 single rooms for use with other patients.…”

“…The most obvious opportunity for the use of POCTs would be for more rapid triaging of patients at the hospital front door, putting them into appropriate care pathways thereby reducing the risk of onward transmission and consequent burden within hospitals and on the health service. Once at hospital, POCTs enable patient cohorting in bays of general wards or on designated influenza wards with reduced consequent risk of nosocomial transmission of influenza and improved patient flow [4]. On a larger scale, this could become the normal pathway associated with this group of patients in which POCTs may be cost saving by avoiding nosocomial hospital infections and ensuring appropriate targeted prescribing of antivirals/antibiotics.…”

“…From the literature, there has been successful use of the POCTs within hospital settings [4,5], paediatric emergency departments [6], community pharmacy settings [7] and outpatient departments [8]. This evidence and (more recent) experiences of others [9] suggest that there now may be an opportunity to change the way patients who present with acute respiratory symptoms are managed and to use POCTs as part of a healthcare pathway.…”

Implementation of the cobas Liat influenza point-of-care test into an emergency department during a high-incidence season: a retrospective evaluation following real-world implementation

“…This paper evaluates the realworld performance of Liat. The impact of Liat on infection prevention and control and clinical outcomes is discussed in an accompanying paper [8].…”

Real‐time surveillance systems: Applicability for the control of influenza in acute care

“…8,9 The numerous nosocomial outbreaks described in hospital rooms, adult and neonatal intensive care units, transplant centers, and other chronic care centers increase the frequency of influenza cases related to health care to 15%. 10 Being the most frequent immunopreventable disease in developed countries, the main strategy for the prevention and control of influenza is vaccination, in a common effort of public health authorities, health professionals, and patients. 1 Sufficient evidence supports the vaccination of health professionals as one of the most important measures in the reduction of nosocomial transmission of influenza virus.…”