Testing for Multidrug-Resistant Pneumonia

Alan Gross, PharmD, BCPS-AQID, Clinical Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy, discusses testing options for multidrug-resistant pneumonia.

“There are a couple of PCR based tests [for multidrug-resistant pneumonia]. We’ve had respiratory viral panels for pneumonia to help look at multiple respiratory viruses in addition to atypical bacteria, so that’s actually already in place in the United States, and we’ve been using that with pretty good effect.

But there [is] some additional testing coming from multiple different platforms, that [are] really identifying bacterial pathogens in addition to atypicals—so, your Streptococcus pneumoniae from [bronchoalveolar lavage] BAL, Haemophilus influenzae, things like that.

And so, if we get that data in a patient, and we get it quick, that can really help target our antibiotics and decrease unnecessary broad-spectrum agent use.”