Impact on Patient Management of a Novel Host Response Test for Distinguishing Bacterial and Viral Infections: Real World Evidence from the Urgent Care Setting
Boaz Kalmovich, Daniella Rahamim‐Cohen, Shirley Shapiro Ben David
Abstract
Antibiotic overuse and underuse are prevalent in urgent care settings, driven in part by diagnostic uncertainty. A host-based test for distinguishing bacterial and viral infections (MeMed BV) has been clinically validated previously. Here we examined how BV impacts antibiotic prescription in a real-world setting. The intention to treat with antibiotics before the receipt of a BV result was compared with practice after the receipt of a BV result at three urgent care centers. The analysis included 152 patients, 57.9% children and 50.7% female. In total, 131 (86.2%) had a bacterial or viral BV result. Physicians were uncertain about prescription for 38 (29.0%) patients and for 30 (78.9%) of these cases, subsequently acted in accordance with the BV result. Physicians intended to prescribe antibiotics to 39 (29.8%) patients, of whom 17 (43.6%) had bacterial BV results. Among the remaining 22 patients with viral BV results, antibiotic prescriptions were reduced by 40.9%. Overall, the physician prescribed in accordance with BV results in 81.7% of all cases (p < 0.05). In total, the physicians reported that BV supported or altered their decision making in 87.0% of cases (p < 0.05). BV impacts patient management in real-world settings, supporting appropriate antibiotic use.