Analysis of the impact of diagnostic virology tests on the use of antibiotics in paediatric inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia

Aguilera-Alonso, David; Illán-Ramos, Marta; Daoud, Zarife; Guinea, Víctor; Culebras, Esther; Ramos, José Tomás

Abstract Introduction Viruses are one of the most common causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. Early identification of respiratory viruses could result in a decrease in the use of antibiotics. Methods Observational, retrospective study from January 2014 to June 2018, that included paediatric patients admitted with a diagnosis of CAP in a tertiary hospital, in which antigenic tests and/or viral PCR on a respiratory sample was performed. Results A total of 105 CAP episodes were included, with identification of a respiratory virus in 93 (88.6%) cases. Patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) detection had a lower onset of empirical antibiotic therapy (35.1% vs. 55.9%, p-value=.042). In addition, cases with RSV or influenza identification required shorter duration of antibiotic therapy (receiving 45.6% ≥2 days vs. 68.8% of those not identified, p =.017). Conclusion The use of respiratory virus diagnostic techniques in our setting can optimise antibiotic use in children admitted with CAP.