[Positive urine pneumococcal antigen test and vaccination].

Area of Science:

• Clinical microbiology
• Diagnostic testing
• Infectious disease

Background:

• Urine pneumococcal antigen (UPA) testing is a valuable tool for diagnosing pneumococcal pneumonia.
• False positive results from UPA testing can complicate diagnosis and treatment.
• Pneumococcal vaccination is a known potential cause of false positive UPA results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of false positive UPA tests.
• To identify factors associated with false positive UPA tests, including pneumococcal vaccination.
• To assess the impact of UPA results on antibiotic prescribing practices.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of patients with positive UPA tests at Hospital de Denia (January-February 2015).
• Analysis of epidemiological, radiological, and microbiological data.
• Assessment of prior pneumococcal vaccination status (PPSV23 and/or PCV13).

Main Results:

• UPA test was positive in 12.4% of 385 cases.
• Only 33.3% of positive UPA cases showed pneumonia on chest X-ray.
• 35.4% of patients with positive UPA results had received pneumococcal vaccination.
• Antibiotics were prescribed in 87.5% of cases with positive UPA results.

Conclusions:

• Pneumococcal vaccination is a significant cause of false positive UPA results in clinical settings.
• False positive UPA tests can lead to inappropriate antibiotic use.
• Clinical correlation and consideration of vaccination history are crucial when interpreting UPA results.