An Overview of Emerging Point-of-Care Tests for Differentiating Bacterial and Viral Infections

Antimicrobial resistance is an important health concern in Canada and across the world. A key driver of antimicrobial resistance is the unnecessary use of antibiotics because of diagnostic uncertainty. Emerging health technologies may reduce diagnostic uncertainty of acute infections at the point of care and may help support antibiotic stewardship programs if the tests demonstrate clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness for health systems. This Horizon Scan provides an overview of the available information on new and emerging point-of-care tests that can help differentiate bacterial and viral infections. There is a specific focus on different types of assays, their diagnostic accuracy, and the evidence about their effect on reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. This report also provides considerations about the health care settings where these tests might be beneficial and the potential role point-of-care testing may play as part of antibiotic stewardship programs, especially in post-pandemic health care.