The impact of multiplex nested gastrointestinal PCR panel in children with gastroenteridis requiring pediatric infectious disease consultation.

UNLABELLED

Infectious gastroenteritis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in nations with middle and low incomes. In a pediatric gastroenteritis patient, the aim was to determine the therapeutic impact of using the Gastrointestinal Panel in our clinical practice. A single-center retrospective study was designed to evaluate children who were admitted to the hospital for gastroenteritis and had a gastrointestinal panel between August 2021 and January 2024. 103 patients who had gastrointestinal (GI) panel results were included in the study. The GI Panel positivity rate among 103 patients was 55.3% (n = 57). Bacterial agents were positive in 25 patients (43.8%), viral agents were found in 11 patients (19.2%), and polymicrobial agents were found positive in 21 patients (36.8%). Escherichia coli (9.1%) was the most common bacterial pathogen, and viral pathogens most frequently included Rotavirus (11.6%) and Norovirus (11.6%). When the effect of the GI Panel test on treatment was determined, the treatment of 51 (49.5%) patients was changed according to GI Panel.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, the treatment regimen of many patients was adjusted based on the GI panel results in patients presenting with gastroenteritis. GI panel had an important impact on the patients care and optimization according to the principles of antimicrobial treatment. GI panel tests had several advantages such as speed and diagnostic accuracy as good as stool culture.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Infectious gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in middle- and low-income countries. • BioFire® FilmArray, Gastrointestinal Panel (BioFire- Biomerieux, France) is a rapid and simple technique that uses nested multiplex PCR to detect gastrointestinal pathogens rapidly.

WHAT IS NEW

• In this study, the GI Panel test was found to have a cumulative impact on 49.5% (n=51) of the clinician's treatment modalities. • With its speed and diagnostic sensitivity, the GI Panel may provide clinicians with an important tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance by decreasing antimicrobial drug treatment at the children with gastroenteritis.