One of the most feared consequences of a delayed tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is nosocomial transmission of TB. The CDC’s guidelines to help limit the spread of this infection by keeping a patient isolated until highly infectious strains of TB can be excluded are resource intensive. For this reason, time to diagnosis carries significant weight.
A recent study analyzed the feasibility, safety, and clinical impact of utilizing molecular testing strategies to guide discontinuation of respiratory isolation among hospitalized patients undergoing evaluation for active TB. The researchers used Cepheid’s GeneXpert MTB/RIF* test, which provides results in less than 2 hours.
They concluded that using molecular testing was associated with a significant reduction in time to isolation discontinuation and hospital discharge, as well as cost savings, compared to a conventional, microscopy-based testing strategy.
Together, these measures of impact place rapid molecular testing for TB among a select group of interventions that have been shown to advance the “quadruple aim”: improved population health, a better patient experience, a better clinician experience, and lower costs."
Epidemiologist, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Chaisson LH, et al. Association of Rapid Molecular Testing With Duration of Respiratory Isolation for Patients With Possible Tuberculosis in a US Hospital. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Aug 27; doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.3638. [Epub ahead of print].
*For in vitro Diagnostic Use