[Rapid diagnostic test for respiratory infections]

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Diagnostics

Background:

• Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading global cause of illness and death in all age groups.
• Viruses, bacteria, and fungi are key contributors to the etiology of ARIs.
• Timely diagnosis is crucial for effective patient management, public health interventions, and outbreak control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of rapid antigen detection techniques for diagnosing common etiologic agents of ARIs.
• To highlight the speed and accuracy of immunochromatography for specific pathogens.
• To identify limitations of current rapid tests and suggest alternatives for challenging diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized antigen detection techniques, primarily immunochromatography, for rapid diagnosis.
• Analyzed diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity) for various pathogens from different sample types.
• Considered molecular techniques as alternatives for specific viral and fungal infections.

Main Results:

• Immunochromatography provides results within 15-30 minutes for several key pathogens.
• High sensitivity (70-90%) and specificity (>95%) were observed for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Streptococcus pyogenes, and respiratory syncytial virus.
• Lower performance was noted for influenza viruses and Pneumocystis jirovecii, with molecular methods recommended.

Conclusions:

• Rapid antigen tests, particularly immunochromatography, are valuable tools for the early diagnosis of many ARIs.
• These tests facilitate prompt clinical and public health responses.
• Limitations exist for certain pathogens, necessitating the use of complementary molecular diagnostic approaches.