Expanded PCR Panel Testing for Identification of Respiratory Pathogens and Coinfections in Influenza-like Illness

Dr. Pallavi Upadhyay, Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at HealthTrackRx, will be presenting “Expanded PCR Panel Testing for Identification of Respiratory Pathogens and Coinfections in Influenza-like Illness” at the AMP 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo on November 5th in Phoenix, Arizona.

This collaborative research study between HealthTrackRx and Thermo Fisher Scientific highlights the clinical utility of expanded syndromic PCR panels for the rapid and accurate detection of several pathogens in patients presenting with influenza-like-illness. The study looked at symptomatic patients who presented to the hospital with flu-like symptoms and found that more than two third of the patients had their illness due to something other than SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A or Influenza B. Testing using an expanded PCR panel showed a significant proportion of patients infected with a wide range of pathogens, some of whom had co-infections known to increase disease severity. An expanded panel-based approach allows for clinicians to identify these clinically relevant pathogens including coinfections, which in turn helps improve patient outcomes while contributing to antimicrobial stewardship.