CNN
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Do you have a stuffy nose and a cough? Go to the emergency room or ER and you’ll know exactly what kind of bacteria is causing your illness, thanks to a new test that sometimes screens for 18 different pathogens instead of just looking for one at a time. It is possible. Up to 20 viruses and bacteria.
The use of these so-called multiple tests has become more common in recent years. They were especially useful last fall and winter, when the US was simultaneously battling a surge of at least three respiratory infections (Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza).
These help doctors make quicker diagnoses in busy settings, and experts say it’s both good and bad. On the one hand, we might be able to pinpoint exactly which virus is causing the disease. On the other hand, most viruses don’t have specific treatments, so it may not do you much good either for you or your doctor.
And it can increase patient anxiety. When it’s no longer just a cold, it’s the adenovirus or bocavirus. What does this mean exactly?
Sarah Nosal, M.D., a primary care physician in the Bronx, New York, says she’s seeing this phenomenon more and more in her practice.
In one recent case, a woman brought her two-year-old child. The child had a runny nose and cough, but she was fine enough to crawl into Nosar’s lap during the examination.
Over the weekend, the family visited an emergency clinic, where the child was being tested for 18 viruses simultaneously. He tested positive for adenovirus, metapneumovirus, and enterovirus.
“So parents are freaking out, ‘Why?'” Why are my kids carrying so many viruses? said Nosal.
Nosal said studies show that co-infections are not that uncommon, especially in the fall and winter.of one study For example, of the approximately 2,400 children in Australia with respiratory infections, one in four with a viral illness has more than one virus. The study authors concluded that, in most cases, being infected with two or more viruses at the same time does not necessarily make children more ill.
But having three viruses at the same time can certainly make a bad impression on concerned parents.
“Well, it’s not crazy, but we don’t usually test children, so we don’t always know that information,” Nosal said.
What’s more, there’s no specific treatment for the virus her young patient was suffering from, so her recommendations probably won’t change despite the horrific diagnosis: rest, hydration, and cuddling.
As COVID-19 testing has made nose-wiping commonplace, many patients will want to know what bugs they have.
“I think things have changed now that we can name things,” said Dr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease expert at the University of Michigan. “I feel that the new coronavirus has changed that paradigm a bit.”
Multiplex testing is not available everywhere. Physicians are more likely to order this product in settings such as emergency departments and emergency clinics where they want quick access to information to guide their care.
LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics, the largest commercial clinical laboratory companies in the United States, have acknowledged an increase in orders for multiple tests from physicians since 2019, although neither has released exact numbers. do not have.
Marani said testing for certain infectious diseases, especially influenza and Covid-19, is often not recommended, especially if those viruses are known to be prevalent in your area. is still necessary.
“I feel that the COVID-19 diagnosis is important because we have a different response to it. are not taking full advantage of that therapy,” she said.
Although COVID-19 is rarely serious for children, knowing that children have COVID-19 can help other potentially more vulnerable family members, such as grandparents. may help protect.
And people with underlying medical conditions that affect immune function may benefit from multiple tests, she said. In such cases, test results may change the way doctors manage the disease.
Studies show that otherwise, multiple testing may be of limited utility.
Fans of the test argue that the ability to test for both viruses and bacteria could reduce the use of unnecessary treatments, such as prescribing bacteria-killing antibiotics for viral diseases.
but, Recent research A study conducted by Children’s Hospital of Colorado found that was not the case. Of the 931 children who underwent rapid respiratory panel testing in the emergency department, half of the physicians given the patient’s test results were as likely to prescribe antibiotics as those who were not shown the results. rice field. Children whose physicians knew their respiratory panel results had longer stays in the emergency department and were more likely to be hospitalized.
“For most people, it won’t change your management, and frankly the visit would probably be a waste,” Marani said.
Correction: Dr. Preeti Malani’s name was misspelled in an earlier version of this article.