A RAPID INFLUENZA TEST IN HOSPITALS COULD AVOID UNNECESSARY PAEDIATRIC ISOLATION BED DAYS AND SAVE COSTS

Purpose:

Paediatric patients with suspected influenza infections are often presumptively isolated when they are admitted to hospital to reduce intrahospital transmission.  However, isolation beds are a scarce resource in particular during influenza season. We aimed to estimate the unnecessary isolation days averted and associated cost by early diagnosis of false positive patients with a point of care test for influenza.

Method(s):

A decision tree model was built in Microsoft Excel to calculate the number of isolation bed days used currently with a standard laboratory based test for influenza, compared to using a point of care test (12 versus 2 hours’ time to results). Input parameters were taken from a service evaluation in 2014/15 in London, and we assumed a 7% prevalence of influenza in a cohort of 1000 patients with suspected influenza, average hospital stay of 3 days, cost of an isolation bed being 10% more than a ward bed. 

Result(s):

Using a point of care test could avert 371 and 448 unnecessary isolation days with an associated estimated cost savings of £24,603 and £29,610 if the test were implemented on the ward or in A&E, respectively. There was an estimated savings of £66 per isolation bed day saved.

Conclusion(s):

Point of care tests could improve bed management and reduce unnecessary isolation days and the associated costs, improve clinical management of patients, and reduce hospital transmission of infection.