Protein and transcriptional biomarker profiling may inform treatment strategies in lower respiratory tract infections by indicating bacterial-viral differentiation.

Unlabelled: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) remain a significant global cause of infectious disease-related mortality. Accurate discrimination between acute bacterial and viral LRTIs is crucial for optimal patient care, prevention of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, and resource allocation. Plasma samples from LRTI patients with bacterial ( = 36), viral ( = 27; excluding SARS-CoV-2), SARS-CoV-2 ( = 22), and mixed bacterial-viral ( = 38) etiology were analyzed for protein profiling.

Patient influx to emergency departments at two Norwegian university hospitals from 2012-21.

Background: The increase in patient visits to emergency departments is a global challenge. We wished to survey patient inflow and patient composition over time at two Norwegian university hospitals.

Material And Method: A retrospective, descriptive study of patient contacts (patients ≥ 16 years of age) in the emergency departments of Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, and St Olav's Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital in the period 2012-21.

Microbial aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalised adults: A prospective study utilising comprehensive molecular testing.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the microbial aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults admitted to a tertiary care hospital and assess the impact of syndromic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panels on pathogen detection.

Methods: Conducted at Haukeland University Hospital, Norway, from September 2020 to April 2023, this prospective study enrolled adults with suspected CAP. We analysed lower respiratory tract samples using both standard-of-care tests and the BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® Pneumonia Plus Panel (FAP plus).

Diagnostic Stewardship in Community-Acquired Pneumonia With Syndromic Molecular Testing: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections, including community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), are a leading cause of hospital admissions and mortality. Molecular tests have the potential to optimize treatment decisions and management of CAP, but limited evidence exists to support their routine use.

Objective: To determine whether the judicious use of a syndromic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based panel for rapid testing of CAP in the emergency department (ED) leads to faster, more accurate microbiological test result-based treatment.

The diagnostic utility of microscopic quality assessment of sputum samples in the era of rapid syndromic PCR testing.

This prospective study assessed the value of initial microscopy evaluation of sputum samples submitted for rapid syndromic PCR-based testing. Bacterial detections by the BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel in 126 high- and 108 low-quality sputum samples, based on initial microscopy evaluation in samples from patients with lower respiratory tract infections were compared. We found that high-quality samples had a higher proportion of bacterial detections compared to low-quality samples ( = 0.

Validation of a modified South African triage scale in a high-resource setting: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Triage systems are widely used in emergency departments, but are not always validated. The South African Triage Scale (SATS) has mainly been studied in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of a modified version of the SATS for the general population of patients admitted to an ED at a tertiary hospital in a high-income country.

The changing spectrum of microbial aetiology of respiratory tract infections in hospitalized patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was met with strict containment measures. We hypothesized that societal infection control measures would impact the number of hospital admissions for respiratory tract infections, as well as, the spectrum of pathogens detected in patients with suspected community acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: This study is based on aggregated surveillance data from electronic health records of patients admitted to the hospitals in Bergen Hospital Trust from January 2017 through June 2021, as well as, two prospective studies of patients with suspected CAP conducted prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-COVID cohort versus COVID cohort, respectively).

Comparison of rapid molecular testing methods for detecting respiratory viruses in emergency care: a prospective study.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) caused by contagious viruses are common among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). Early detection of these viruses can help prevent nosocomial transmission.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of three rapid molecular methods, namely FilmArray Pneumonia Panel plus (FAP plus), ID NOW Influenza A and B 2 (ID NOW2) point-of-care test, and an in-house real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, to identify patients with viral RTIs requiring isolation in an emergency setting.

[Epistaxis after testing for COVID-19].

Background: Testing for airway microbes has increased during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This case report demonstrates that testing can lead to complications.

Case Presentation: A man in his seventies was transferred to our hospital for coronary angiography.

Inflammatory Mediator Profiles Differ in Sepsis Patients With and Without Bacteremia.

Systemic levels of cytokines are altered during infection and sepsis. This prospective observational study aimed to investigate whether plasma levels of multiple inflammatory mediators differed between sepsis patients with and those without bacteremia during the initial phase of hospitalization. A total of 80 sepsis patients with proven bacterial infection and no immunosuppression were included in the study.