Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health threat, and growing evidence suggests that antimicrobial-resistant infections are becoming increasingly common in children. Early selection of appropriate antimicrobial therapy can improve clinical outcomes and decrease exposure to unnecessary antimicrobials. For this reason, the 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for implementing an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) recommend the use of rapid diagnostic testing to supplement conventional culture (weak recommendation, moderate-quality evidence). Molecular testing can more rapidly identify pathogens and provide antibiotic susceptibility compared to culture. CASP’s Pediatric Stewardship Director Zach Willis and his co-author provide an overview of the current molecular testing landscape, review the pros and cons of different molecular techniques, and discuss the role of ASPs in implementing new diagnostic techniques in clinical care.
Access the article at https://doi.org/10.1093/jpids/piab037.