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Reduction in total patient isolation days with a change in influenza testing methodology

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Infect Control. 2016 May 5. pii: S0196-6553(16)00277-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.03.019. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]Reduction in total patient isolation days with a change in influenza testing methodology.[/h] Muller MP[SUP]1[/SUP], Junaid S[SUP]2[/SUP], Matukas LM[SUP]3[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Both hospital admissions and patient isolation increase during influenza season. Influenza testing methodologies that reduce turnaround time (TAT) could reduce time in isolation.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] We assessed the impact of a new influenza test on TAT and isolation days. TAT and daily mean isolation days were compared at a single hospital over 2 influenza seasons. An automated real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (rRT-PCR) with random access replaced a conventional rRT-PCR assay for the second influenza season. Automation and random access allowed continuous testing, rather than once daily testing 3-5 d/wk.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] Confirmed influenza cases (57 vs 68) and total patient days (66,308 vs. 66,366) were similar for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 influenza seasons. TAT fell from 35 to 3.6 hours. Daily mean isolation days (32.9 vs 27.7, P < .01) fell, as did days in contact precautions (25.0 vs 19.8, P < .01) and droplet precautions (6.0 vs 3.5, P < .01). Although daily mean droplet precaution days for confirmed influenza rose slightly (0.86 vs 1.1, P = .16), droplet precaution days for suspected influenza fell 85% (2.7 vs 0.41, P < .001).
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Influenza testing technology that reduced TAT from days to hours resulted in a 42% reduction in droplet precaution days and reduced overall isolation days during influenza season.
Copyright ? 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] Real-time polymerase chain reaction; rapid testing

PMID: 27158086 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
 
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