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Published on: December 31, 2017
Evaluation of the diagnostic capacities of saliva sampling from pediatric patients: Protocol for a randomized
Laure Devienne1, Laura Goram1, Claire Morton-Fauche1
1Paediatric medicine department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
Insights
Saliva sampling offers a less invasive alternative to nasopharyngeal aspiration for diagnosing acute bronchiolitis in infants. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy, tolerance, and acceptability of saliva versus NPA in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Acute bronchiolosis is a frequent pediatric respiratory infection, particularly in children under two, leading to significant hospitalizations.
- Current diagnosis relies on nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA), an invasive method causing distress to children and families.
- Saliva sampling has shown promise as a well-tolerated diagnostic method for respiratory infections in older children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic performance of saliva sampling against nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA) for acute bronchiolitis in infants.
- To evaluate the concordance of diagnostic results between saliva and NPA methods.
- To assess and compare the tolerance and acceptability of saliva sampling versus NPA in children aged 28 days to 2 years.
Main Methods:
- A clinical trial (NCT07350291) comparing nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA) and saliva sampling in children aged 28 days to 2 years.
- Evaluation of diagnostic concordance between the two sampling methods.
- Assessment of patient tolerance and family acceptability for each method.
Main Results:
- Data on diagnostic concordance between saliva and NPA are presented.
- Findings on the comparative tolerance and acceptability of both methods are detailed.
- The study provides evidence on the efficacy of saliva sampling as a diagnostic tool for acute bronchiolitis.
Conclusions:
- Saliva sampling presents a viable, less invasive alternative to NPA for diagnosing acute bronchiolitis in young children.
- The study supports the potential of saliva testing to improve patient comfort and family experience during respiratory illness diagnosis.
- Further research may confirm saliva sampling as a preferred diagnostic method in pediatric respiratory infections.
Abstract:
Acute bronchiolitis is a common respiratory infection that affects approximately 30% of children under two years of age in France. While most cases are mild and treated on an outpatient basis, around 0.5% of children require hospitalization for monitoring and/or treatment. This condition, which is linked to various respiratory pathogens, accounts for a significant proportion of winter activity in hospital pediatric departments. Diagnosis for young children under two years of age is currently based on nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA), performed by nurses on medical prescription. Although considered the gold standard, this technique is invasive and potentially traumatic for children. It often requires several caregivers and sometimes causes tension with families. The experience of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the value of saliva sampling, with good diagnostic concordance with reference methods, as well as better tolerance and acceptability than nasopharyngeal swabbing in children over 2 years of age. In this context, our study aims to compare NPA and saliva sampling in the diagnosis of respiratory distress in children between 28 days and 2 years of age, to evaluate the concordance of results, and to compare tolerance and acceptability. Clinical trial number: NCT07350291.
