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Respiratory Panel

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Respiratory Panel, Respiratory Bacteria and Virus PCR, BioFire Respiratory Panel

  • Background
  1. Respiratory Panels are PCR tests (often point-of-care) that test for multiple Bacteria and viral Antigens
  2. May decrease the use of Antibiotics (or broad spectrum Antibiotics) in the ambulatory, emergency and hospital setting
    1. Consider when other testing (cxr, Influenza, covid, RSV) in acute respiratory illness is non-diagnostic
  3. However, benefits of testing are mixed against the test costs (>$400 in 2023 and not consistently reimbursed)
    1. Coinfection is not excluded and even when pathogen is identified, Antibiotics are often continued
    2. Viral pathogen identification has not consistently resulted in less Antibiotic use
  • Labs
  • BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1
  1. Test Sensitivity is high (95 to 100% except where otherwise noted)
  2. Viruses (19)
    1. Adenovirus
    2. Coronavirus (6 strains including Covid, MERS)
    3. Human Metapneumovirus
    4. Human Rhinovirus and enterovirus
    5. Influenza (Influenza B and various Influenza A strains)
    6. Parainfluenza (4 strains)
    7. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
  3. Bacteria
    1. Bordatella Pertussis (Test Sensitivity 66%)
    2. Bordatella Parapertussis (Test Sensitivity 85%)
    3. Chlamydia pneumoniae
    4. Mycoplasma pneumoniae
  • References
  1. Bennett (2023) Am Fam Physician 108(2): 189-91