Implementation of pan-enteric PCR screening at a UK general district hospital - benefits, pitfalls and lessons learnt
Presented by Elisabetta Savanco
Senior Biomedical Scientist in Medical Microbiology at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Gastroenteritis is a significant socioeconomic burden. It is crucial to identify or exclude infectious causes of gastroenteritis, as this informs treatment strategies and allow for effective management of hospital and public health resources.
Laboratories can play a key role in the diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis, but traditional diagnostic testing for GI pathogens is notoriously inefficient. Blackpool Hospital has implemented pan-enteric PCR screening of all in-patient and community faecal samples, to improve management of GI infections.
This presentation will discuss the proven benefits of this change - such as improved outbreak management in hospital and care homes, better and quicker detection of notifiable diseases in the community, more efficient management of GI-related admissions and diagnosis of uncommon GI infections preventing their mismanagement - but also describe the pitfalls of pan-enteric PCR and the challenges of adapting infection prevention policies and patient pathways to maximise potential of this new testing strategy.
Elisabetta Savanco is an HCPC registered Senior Biomedical Scientist specialising in Medical Microbiology. Working in a general district hospital, her work focuses on tailoring diagnostic microbiology strategies to the needs of the local population.Â
Over the last 10 years, she has headed numerous service development initiatives, all aimed at reducing turnaround of microbiology investigations to optimise patient flows in the hospital setting.
In collaboration with local Gastroenterology services and the UK Health Security Agency, her recent efforts have focused on improving diagnosis and surveillance of gastrointestinal infections, through the introduction of enteric PCR screening for both primary and secondary care.
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Molecular testing for intestinal protozoa: how a laboratory developed test compares to one that is FDA-cleared
Presented by Dr Susan Madison-Antenucci
Infections with intestinal parasitic protozoa are frequently underdiagnosed. Contributing factors include lack of knowledge regarding the prevalence in economically developed countries, poor sensitivity for traditional microscopy-based testing algorithms and lack of ability to test for some parasites. Sensitive, comprehensive and efficient testing methods are key for detection of intestinal parasites in clinical and reference laboratories.
Here we will discuss the comparison of laboratory-developed multiplex real-time PCR tests with the FDA-cleared Genetic Signatures Gastrointestinal Parasite Detection test. Specimens submitted to a reference laboratory for confirmation testing were retrospectively tested using the Genetic Signatures assay. Overall, 225 specimens were tested by both methods and showed good concordance for detection of Cryptosporidium sp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, Giardia duodenalis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Blastocystis sp. and Entamoeba histolytica, which are included in both assays.