COVID-19 rapid molecular point-of-care testing is effective and cost-beneficial for the acute care of trauma patients.
Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg
; 2022 Sep 06.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2282649
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
To evaluate the accuracy and cost benefit of a rapid molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) device detecting COVID-19 within a traumatological emergency department.BACKGROUND:
Despite continuous withdrawal of COVID-19 restrictions, hospitals will remain particularly vulnerable to local outbreaks which is reflected by a higher institution-specific basic reproduction rate. Patients admitted to the emergency department with unknown COVID-19 infection status due to a- or oligosymptomatic COVID-19 infection put other patients and health care workers at risk, while fast diagnosis and treatment is necessary. Delayed testing results in additional costs to the health care system.METHODS:
From the 8th of April 2021 until 31st of December 2021, all patients admitted to the emergency department were tested with routine RT-PCR and rapid molecular POCT device (Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19). COVID-19-related additional costs for patients admitted via shock room or emergency department were calculated based on internal cost allocations.RESULTS:
1133 rapid molecular tests resulted in a sensitivity of 83.3% (95% CI 35.9-99.6%), specificity of 99.8% (95% CI 99.4-100%), a positive predictive value of 71.4% (95% CI 29-96.3%) and a negative predictive value of 99.9% (95% CI 99.5-100%) as compared to RT-PCR. Without rapid COVID-19 testing, each emergency department and shock room admission with subsequent surgery showed additional direct costs of 2631.25, without surgery of 729.01.CONCLUSION:
Although rapid molecular COVID-19 testing can initially be more expensive than RT-PCR, subsequent cost savings, improved workflows and workforce protection outweigh this effect by far. The data of this study support the use of a rapid molecular POCT device in a traumatological emergency department.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00068-022-02091-x
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