Translational Medical Research Commons^™

Streptococcus Pneumoniae Antigen, Missing Opportunities Of A Promising Point Of Care Diagnostic Test, Magdelina Słomka, Ruby Gupta, Baltej Singh, Venkatesh Gondhi, Siddartha Bhandary, Ekezie Francis, Jose Bordon

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: The etiologic diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and community-acquired meningitis (CAM) are still far from optimal accuracy and turnaround time. The most common bacterial pathogen identified in both CAP and CAM is Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Methods: We reviewed the literature on S. pneumoniae antigen to highlight opportunities to optimize its use as a point of care diagnostic test to maximize quality of patient care, antimicrobial stewardship outcomes and cost saving. A PubMed search was performed using key words “S. pneumoniae antigen; rapid diagnostic tests for S. pneumoniae”. We selected articles in English and sorted into randomized …

Preliminary Evaluation Of An Lyta Pcr Assay For Detection Of Streptococcus Pneumoniae In Urine Specimens From Hospitalized Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Subathra Marimuthu, James T. Summersgill, Kuldeep Ghosh, Leslie A Wolf

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae still occurs in at risk populations, despite the availability of effective vaccines. Laboratory confirmation of S. pneumoniae remains challenging in cases of CAP despite advances in blood culture techniques and the availability of nucleic acid amplification tests such as PCR-based methods. Urine specimens are an attractive sample type because they are non-invasive compared to bronchial washes or whole blood specimens for patients with CAP. While urine specimens have been used successfully in antigen detection assays, they have not been extensively evaluated for PCR-based assays. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the potential …