Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Childhood Infections

Presumptive treatment of infections often results in irrational antimicrobial use resulting in detrimental spread of drug resistance and untoward side effects. A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is a test that delivers a result earlier than conventional testing methods employed in the past to identify the offending microorganism. RDTs help in early definitive therapy, reduction in hospital stay and cost, and in degree of morbidity and mortality associated with the infection. To select a proper RDT, one should consider how specific and sensitive the test is. Most RDTs gives a qualitative result not quantitative; hence disease severity, monitoring of the disease, prognostication and therapeutic efficacy cannot be assessed. A RDT should be easy to perform, should not require sophisticated machines, and kits should be stable in extremes of temperature. RDTs may be of immense help in remote places where conventional diagnostic facilities are unavailable or lack quality. RDTs hold promise of reasonable diagnostic accuracy if done in a optimal clinical background. They should never be ordered as a shotgun approach to exclude all possible infections but should be used judiciously with appropriate interpretation.