MJA
MJA

The impact of rapid molecular diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses on outcomes for emergency department patients

Anthea L Katelaris, Ross M Andrews and Jeremy McAnulty
Med J Aust 2020; 212 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/mja2.50443
Published online: 3 February 2020

To the Editor: Uncontrolled before‐and‐after studies are highly prone to bias. Wabe and colleagues report on the impact of rapid influenza testing on outcomes for emergency department (ED) patients.1 They compared outcomes across four hospitals between the 2016 influenza season, when standard testing was used, and 2017, when rapid testing was used. Rapid testing was associated with shorter test turnaround times, more patients receiving results, and lower admission rates.

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