Prepare your practice for the coming flu season

Timely and accurate diagnosis is needed

As the flu season approaches in the Northern hemisphere, healthcare professionals should start to prepare to face potential outbreaks of various seasonal respiratory tract infections. To assist in timely and accurate diagnoses to make informed treatment decisions, consider integrating QuikRead go CRP tests into your practice as soonest.

QuikRead go^® CRP POC tests support diagnosis and guide antibiotic prescribing

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used sensitive diagnostic marker to aid evaluation of acute infections and inflammation. CRP production is proportional to the intensity of infection and inflammation making it a useful tool for the management of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and guiding antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Aidian's QuikRead go CRP point of care (POC) tests are fast, accurate, and precise, providing immediate CRP results at primary care.

Benefits of CRP POC testing in primary care

Fast and quantitative CRP POC result during the patient visit provides substantial benefits for the physician compared to the laboratory CRP testing.

• Results that are immediately available, aid in the diagnostic and treatment decisions for acute infections.
• Evaluation of the disease severity – specifically to determine whether the infection is self-limiting, if antibiotics provide benefit for the patient or if patient requires admission to the hospital.
• Diagnostic uncertainty of the physicians is one of the main factors that drive antibiotic overprescribing in primary care. CRP POC test result increases the diagnostic confidence and supports the decision when to prescribe antibiotics¹.
• Decreases unnecessary antibiotic prescribing significantly without compromising patients’ safety^2,3.
• An objective tool for the physician to communicate for the patient why antibiotics are not needed. CRP POC testing supports successful patient-doctor communication and increases patient satisfaction.⁴

Learn more on how to interpret CRP results in the diagnosis and antibiotic guidance of LRTIs in adults from our new material:

Improving management of respiratory infections - The benefits of CRP point-of-care testing in General Practice

Ensure now your healthcare facility is well-prepared for the upcoming flu season with QuikRead go CRP tests. Learn more about QuikRead go CRP test selection or contact us for more information.

References

1. Harbarth S, Samore MH. Antimicrobial resistance determinants and future control. Emerg Infect Dis 2005; 11:794-801.
2. O'Brien K et al. C-reactive protein point-of-care testing (CRP POCT) to guide antibiotic prescribing in primary care settings for acute respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Rapid assessment on other health technologies using the HTA Core Model for Rapid Relative Effectiveness Assessment. EUnetHTA Project ID: OTCA012. 2019.
3. Smedemark et al. Biomarkers as point-of-care tests to guide prescription of antibiotics in people with acute respiratory infections in primary care (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022; Issue 10. Art. No.: CD010130.
4. Cals JW et al. Effect of point of care testing for C reactive protein and training in communication skills on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster randomised trial. BMJ 2009; 338:b1374.