Background: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is one of the most prevalent chronic bacterial infections, infecting more than half of the global population. The sensitivity of HP diagnostic tests decreases with the use of antibiotics and/or antisecretory drugs. Given the increasing rates of macrolide resistance worldwide, comprehensive testing for HP eradication is imperative. In this quality [...]

Background: Infectious gastroenteritis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The FilmArray GI panel (GIP) is a multiplex PCR assay that can rapidly detect 21 gastrointestinal pathogens, including 13 bacteria, 5 viruses, and 4 parasites. The GIP has high sensitivity and specificity for most targets and has been widely adopted in clinical practice. [...]

Background: Urine culture testing should primarily be reserved for patients with clinical symptoms or other limited indications. Unfortunately, many admitted patients undergo unnecessary urine culture testing, leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). Unnecessary antibiotic treatment for ASB does not improve outcomes and exposes patients to side effects. The negative implications may include [...]

Background: Rural healthcare in both the US and Brazil faces critical challenges in diagnostic services accessibility and efficiency. The Decentralized Integrated Laboratory System (DILS), an evolved form of Point of Care Testing (POCT) technology, aims to overcome these obstacles by enhancing diagnostic processes and patient care in rural settings of both countries. Building on successful [...]

Background: Cost associated with diagnostic testing contributes greatly to the rising cost of health care in the United States (Bindraban et al, 2018). There is evidence to suggest that up to 20% of lab testing is unnecessary (Bindraban et al, 2018).Main Line Health (MLH) is a health system in suburban Philadelphia made up of four [...]

Case Presentation: A 34-year-old male with history of methamphetamine use presented with a one-week history of neck, shoulder, and wrist pain, intermittent radiculopathy, fevers, chills, myalgias, and arthralgias, and a one-day history of confusion. He denied rash, urinary symptoms, diarrheal illness, IV drug use, recent travel, and new sexual contacts. On admission, he was afebrile, [...]