González-Bertolín I, Ochoa-Fernández BM, Bloise I, de Ceano-Vivas-La Calle M, Ruíz-Domínguez JA. Urgent Bordetella PCR in infants under 3 months, a useful tool in the Pediatric Emergency Department.
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2020;
39:174-178. [PMID:
32471689 DOI:
10.1016/j.eimc.2020.04.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Whooping cough in patients aged under 3 months has higher rates of morbimortality. Hospitalization and treatment with azithromycin is generally recommended. Many patients with cough without other signs of alarm, are admitted and started antibiotic therapy until a result of Bordetella-PCR is available. This technique, when performed urgently, can provide the diagnosis in a few hours. The objective of this study is to determine if its generalisation in the Emergency Department allows to improve patient management.
METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of patients aged under 3 months who underwent Bordetella-PCR testing from upper respiratory tract secretions since March 2011 to December 2017. From December 2015 the test was performed urgently.
RESULTS
One hundred and fifty-eight PCR were performed, 16 (10%) were positive for B. pertussis. Negative results (142; 90%) were divided in 2 cohorts: conventional-PCR, with 74 cases, and urgent-PCR, with 68 cases. The 2 groups were homogeneous in terms of clinical and analytical characteristics. In the urgent-PCR group there was 18% reduction in chest X-rays performed (P=.008). There were 33 (48.5%) patients admitted in the urgent-PCR group, compared to 49 (66.2%) in the conventional-PCR (P=.042). Antibiotic treatment was initiated in 32% of the patients in the urgent-PCR group compared to 67% in the conventional-PCR group (P=.000047), without observing any significant increase in the number of visits to the Emergency Department or worse clinical performance.
CONCLUSIONS
The introduction of urgent PCR in the Emergency Department is a useful tool in the management of infants under 3 months of age with suspected pertussis, since it can avoid unnecessary admissions, diagnostic tests and antibiotic treatments.
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