Clinical Utility of FilmArray Gastrointestinal Panel among Newborn and Infant Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Korea

Abstract

The rapid and accurate diagnosis of diarrheal pathogens prevents adverse patient outcomes and allows for prompt isolation measures, thereby stopping further transmission. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of the FilmArray GI panel in pediatric patients less than 2 years old, who have rarely been studied. Between July 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022, the Biofire^® FilmArray^® Gastrointestinal (GI) Panel (BioFire Diagnostics, Salt Lake City, UT) tests were performed for 864 orders from 579 patients with diarrhoea in Dankook University Hospital. We retrospectively evaluated the results of samples (110, 16.1%) from patients aged <2 years. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, children aged <12 months and group B, children aged ≥12 months but under 2 years; their results were compared. Of the 110 samples collected, 30 (41.1%) and 26 (70.3%) in groups A and B, respectively, showed positive results. Seventeen samples (15.5%) contained more than one pathogen. The positivity rate was higher in group B (70.3%) than in group A (41.1%). Multiple pathogens were detected more frequently in group B (29.7%) than in group A (8.2%). The FilmArray GI panel appears to be beneficial for detecting gastrointestinal pathogens in children aged 1-2 years, with a positivity rate reaching 70%, compared with infants under 1 year of age.