Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  In the depths of respiratory virus season, providers often order unnecessary tests that won't alter the course of treatment for the child presenting with upper respiratory symptoms.  This episode covers 5 common pathogens, the indications to test a child presenting with symptoms, and how to talk to families requesting tests.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Influenza antiviral medications: Summary for clinicians. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/antivirals/summary-clinicians.htm#Table1

Frost, H. M., & Hersh, A. L. (2022). Rethinking Our Approach to Management of Acute Otitis Media. JAMA pediatrics, 176(5), 439–440. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.6575

Giovanni Piedimonte, Miriam K. Perez; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Bronchiolitis. Pediatr Rev December 2014; 35 (12): 519–530. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.35-12-519

Liu, J. W., Lin, S. H., Wang, L. C., Chiu, H. Y., & Lee, J. A. (2021). Comparison of Antiviral Agents for Seasonal Influenza Outcomes in Healthy Adults and Children: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. JAMA network open, 4(8), e2119151. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.19151

Parikh R, Mathai A, Parikh S, Chandra Sekhar G, Thomas R. Understanding and using sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan-Feb;56(1):45-50. doi: 10.4103/0301-4738.37595. PMID: 18158403; PMCID: PMC2636062.

Spencer D. Johnson, Jennifer S. Harthan, Tammy Than, Mary K. Migneco, Ellen Shorter, Meredith M. Whiteside, Christina E. Morettin, Christian K. Olson, Crystal A. Rosemann, Mathew S. Margolis, Leonard W. Haertter, Julia B. Huecker, Bojana Rodic-Polic, Richard S. Buller, Gregory A. Storch, Mae O. Gordon, Andrew T. E. Hartwick; Predictive Accuracy and Densitometric Analysis of Point-of-Care Immunoassay for Adenoviral Conjunctivitis. Trans. Vis. Sci. Tech. 2021;10(9):30. doi: https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.10.9.30.

Stanford T. Shulman, Alan L. Bisno, Herbert W. Clegg, Michael A. Gerber, Edward L. Kaplan, Grace Lee, Judith M. Martin, Chris Van Beneden, Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: 2012 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 55, Issue 10, 15 November 2012, Pages e86–e102, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis629

Stanford Medicine. (2022). Common cold in children. Retrieved from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=upper-respiratory-infection-uri-or-common-cold-90-P02966

Walsh, P. S., Schnadower, D., Zhang, Y., Ramgopal, S., Shah, S. S., & Wilson, P. M. (2022). Association of Early Oseltamivir With Improved Outcomes in Hospitalized Children With Influenza, 2007-2020. JAMA pediatrics, 176(11), e223261. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3261

World Health Organization. (2019). WHO launches new global influenza strategy. https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/11-03-2019-who-launches-new-global-influenza-strategy