TY - JOUR
T1 - Criteria for reducing unnecessary testing for herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, and enterovirus in cerebrospinal fluid samples from adults
AU - Wilen, Craig B.
AU - Monaco, Cynthia L.
AU - Hoppe-Bauer, Joan
AU - Jackups, Ronald
AU - Bucelli, Robert C.
AU - Burnham, Carey Ann D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Excessive utilization of laboratory diagnostic testing leads to increased health care costs. We evaluated criteria to reduce unnecessary nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for viral pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from adults. This is a single-center split retrospective observational study with a screening cohort from 2008 to 2012 and a validation cohort from 2013. Adults with available results for herpes simplex virus 1/2 (HSV-1/2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), or enterovirus (EV) NAAT with CSF samples between 2008 and 2013 were included (n=10,917). During this study, 1.3% (n=140) of viral NAAT studies yielded positive results. The acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent subjects would have reduced HSV-1/2, VZV, CMV, and EV testing by 63%, 50%, 44%, and 51%, respectively, from 2008 to 2012. When these criteria were applied to the 2013 validation data set, 54% of HSV-1/2, 57% of VZV, 35% of CMV, and 56% of EV tests would have been cancelled. No clinically significant positive tests would have been cancelled in 2013 with this approach. The introduction of a computerized order entry set was associated with increased test requests, suggesting that computerized order sets may contribute to unnecessary testing. Acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent adults for viral CSF NAAT assays would increase clinical specificity and preserve sensitivity, resulting in significant cost savings. Implementation of these acceptance criteria led to a 46% reduction in testing during a limited follow-up period.
AB - Excessive utilization of laboratory diagnostic testing leads to increased health care costs. We evaluated criteria to reduce unnecessary nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for viral pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from adults. This is a single-center split retrospective observational study with a screening cohort from 2008 to 2012 and a validation cohort from 2013. Adults with available results for herpes simplex virus 1/2 (HSV-1/2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), or enterovirus (EV) NAAT with CSF samples between 2008 and 2013 were included (n=10,917). During this study, 1.3% (n=140) of viral NAAT studies yielded positive results. The acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent subjects would have reduced HSV-1/2, VZV, CMV, and EV testing by 63%, 50%, 44%, and 51%, respectively, from 2008 to 2012. When these criteria were applied to the 2013 validation data set, 54% of HSV-1/2, 57% of VZV, 35% of CMV, and 56% of EV tests would have been cancelled. No clinically significant positive tests would have been cancelled in 2013 with this approach. The introduction of a computerized order entry set was associated with increased test requests, suggesting that computerized order sets may contribute to unnecessary testing. Acceptance criteria of >10 nucleated cells/μl in the CSF of immunocompetent adults for viral CSF NAAT assays would increase clinical specificity and preserve sensitivity, resulting in significant cost savings. Implementation of these acceptance criteria led to a 46% reduction in testing during a limited follow-up period.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923346618&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/JCM.03161-14
DO - 10.1128/JCM.03161-14
M3 - Article
C2 - 25568435
AN - SCOPUS:84923346618
SN - 0095-1137
VL - 53
SP - 887
EP - 895
JO - Journal of clinical microbiology
JF - Journal of clinical microbiology
IS - 3
ER -