Evaluation of the pneumococcal urinary antigen test (PUT): a retrospective study

Area of Science:

• Medical Diagnostics
• Infectious Diseases
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Pneumococcal pneumonia remains a significant cause of community-acquired pneumonia.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
• The pneumococcal urinary antigen test (PUT) offers a rapid diagnostic method.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of the pneumococcal urinary antigen test (PUT).
• To characterize pneumococcal pneumonia in hospitalized adult patients.
• To assess the impact of prior antibiotic treatment and symptom onset duration on PUT results.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of medical records from adult patients hospitalized with pneumonia.
• Inclusion criteria: new diagnosis of pneumonia between April 2015 and March 2018.
• Evaluation of factors including prior antibiotic use, pneumonia onset period, and sputum quality on PUT results.

Main Results:

• 103 out of 482 pneumonia patients had pneumococcal pneumonia.
• PUT positivity was not significantly affected by pneumonia onset period (≥3 days vs ≤2 days).
• Prior antibiotic therapy reduced positive sputum culture rates but did not impact PUT positivity.

Conclusions:

• The pneumococcal urinary antigen test (PUT) is a valuable diagnostic tool for pneumococcal pneumonia.
• PUT usefulness is maintained irrespective of prior antibiotic administration.
• PUT remains effective regardless of the time elapsed since symptom onset, aiding in timely diagnosis.