Multiplex PCR point of care testing versus routine, laboratory-based testing in the treatment of adults with respiratory tract infections: a quasi-randomised study assessing impact on length of stay and antimicrobial use

Andrews, Denise; Chetty, Yumela; Cooper, Ben S.; Virk, Manjinder; Glass, Stephen K; Letters, Andrew; Kelly, Philip A.; Sudhanva, Malur; Jeyaratnam, Dakshika

The study ran from 5th January 2015 until 1st July 2015 as planned. No changes were made to the study protocol. During this time 606 patients met eligibility criteria (Fig. 1 ). Sixty-one (10.1%) of these patients were not included (33 in the intervention arm, 28 in the control arm) because 20 were discharged before enrolment, an interpreter was unavailable for three, 34 declined participation, one patient died before being approached, one patient consented but the test was not performed and information is missing for two patients. No patients withdrew from the study. Thus 545 (89.9%) patients were enrolled and included in the analysis, 211 in the control arm and 334 in the intervention arm. All statistical analyses were pre-specified; there were no post-hoc analyses. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two study arms (Table 2) . CURB-65 score was missing for 62.9% of patients for whom it was relevant and was omitted from the analysis. One hundred and sixty-five (30%) patients had a negative time to antibiotics changed to 0 h (median − 1.5 h [IQR −3.5 to −0.8]).