Point-of-care faecal calprotectin testing in patients with paediatric inflammatory bowel disease during the COVID-19
Mwansa Jere1, Vikki Garrick1, Lee Curtis1
1Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, UK.
Insights
Home faecal calprotectin testing provided a valuable alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic for paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services. This method effectively guided clinical management and was preferred by most patients over traditional lab tests.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- COVID-19 pandemic disrupted standard pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services.
- Disruption necessitated alternative methods for essential diagnostic testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit the initial use of home fecal calprotectin testing in pediatric IBD patients.
- To evaluate home testing as a viable alternative to laboratory-based assays.
- To assess the potential for integrating home testing into routine IBD care.
Main Methods:
- Prospective audit of home fecal calprotectin test kit usage from April to August 2020.
- Kits provided to pediatric IBD patients requiring fecal calprotectin testing.
- Automated result upload and clinical staff alerts; user feedback collected via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- 41 out of 54 (76%) pediatric patients utilized home testing.
- 12 (29%) patients had management decisions altered based on home test results.
- 85% of questionnaire respondents preferred home testing over laboratory methods.
Conclusions:
- Home fecal calprotectin testing proved effective in guiding pediatric IBD management when lab services were limited.
- This approach may enhance routine monitoring, optimize appointments, and reduce hospital visits.
Objectives:
Following the disruption of normal paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we prospectively audited the first-time use of home faecal calprotectin testing. We aimed to provide an alternative to laboratory tests and to assess the value of home testing as part of our regular services going forward.
Methods:
Home test kits as well as accompanying user instructions were made available to our patients with paediatric IBD that required faecal calprotectin test between 17 April and 12 August 2020. Once the user completed the test, results were automatically uploaded to the result portal and clinical staff were alerted. A user feedback questionnaire was sent to users that had completed the home test.
Results:
Of the 54 patients, 41 (76%) aged between 4.7 and 18.1 years used the home test. A total of 45 home tests were done, one of which produced an invalid result. The decision to modify management was made in 12 (29%) of the patients, while 14 (34%) had no changes made and 15 (37%) required further assessment. Twenty (48.8%) responded to the questionnaire and 85% stated that they preferred the home test to the laboratory testing method.
Conclusions:
Home calprotectin tests were useful in guiding clinical management during a time when laboratory testing was less available. They may offer benefits as part of routine paediatric IBD monitoring to help target appointments and reduce unnecessary hospital attendances in the future.
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