Priority 1 from the Healthcare Associated Infections project

UNCERTAINTY: How can infections be identified early? (Priority 1)
Overall ranking 1
JLA question ID 0088/1
Explanatory note Early identification of infection can help with early treatment and avoid unnecessary treatment in people without infection in the primary care, secondary care, or community setting, isolation of people who carry communicable infections in hospital. Further studies are necessary to find out how the infection can be detected early.
Evidence

Systematic review: Yes, but only for respiratory virus infection. Huang et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018 Oct;24(10):1055-1063.
Systematic review details:  Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR)s may provide useful diagnostic information for early identification of respiratory virus infections

Health Research Classification System category Infection
Extra information provided by this project
Original uncertainty examples In critically ill patients with an inflammatory response what are the best biomarkers to guide which patients don't have an infection. ~ In hospitalised patients, can we identify pathogens driving infection faster and start appropriate treatment earlier? ~ Are there better ways of determining when an infection is over- so we can stop antibiotics earlier.
Submitted by Patients x 2, Healthcare Professionals x 3, Miscellaneous x 2
Project information
Project unique ID 0088
Project name Healthcare Associated Infections
Total number of uncertainties identified by this project. 259 (To see a full list of all uncertainties identified, please see the detailed spreadsheet held on the JLA website)
Date of priority setting workshop 28 February 2019