MedPath

Impact of the Introduction of a Gastro-intestinal Panel by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Completed
Conditions
Gastroenteritis
Registration Number
NCT03551340
Lead Sponsor
University of Lausanne Hospitals
Brief Summary

Evaluation of the impact of the introduction of multiplex PCR panels on the clinical management of patients with gastroenteritis at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Detailed Description

Gastrointestinal multiplex PCR panels have been introduced in clinical practice several years ago, but the impact on the management of patients is yet unknown. The investigators are interested to evaluate if the multiplex PCR panels introduced at the University Hospital of Lausanne in July 2017 modified the usual medical care and in particular the prescription of anti-infectious treatments. The high sensitivity of the multiplex PCR panels should allow a more precise diagnosis of the etiology of the gastrointestinal symptoms of the patients than the traditional methods of stool culture and microscopy. The investigators expect therefore to observe a modification of the proportion of patients receiving anti-infectious treatment, but it is uncertain if it will lead to an increase or a decrease in the use of antibiotics. On one hand antibiotics could be prescribed more often due to a greater and faster detection of enteropathogens. On the other hand antibiotics could be prescribed less often due to more precise diagnosis, showing that viruses and certain bacteria do not require antibiotic treatment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
210
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Prescription of antibioticsWithin 1 week of availability of stool result

Number of patients receiving a prescription of antibiotics depending on the type of investigation

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of PCR tests requested.1 month

Number of patients for whom one, two or more PCR tests were requested.

Pathogens identified1 day

Number and types of pathogens identified depending on the type of investigation

Additional investigations1 week

Number of patients who underwent additional investigations within 1 week after reception of the results of the initial investigations

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Outpatient Care and Community Medicine, University Hospital of Lausanne

🇨🇭

Lausanne, Switzerland

Department of Outpatient Care and Community Medicine, University Hospital of Lausanne
🇨🇭Lausanne, Switzerland

MedPath

Empowering clinical research with data-driven insights and AI-powered tools.

© 2025 MedPath, Inc. All rights reserved.