Table 2.
Diagnostic tests used for patients admitted with CAP in the UK, France and Spain
| Diagnostic test | Diagnostic tests considered categorised by patient immune status | Could this diagnostic test be omitted when the panels are used? | Median reported test turnaround time (hours) a | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immunocompetent | Immunocompromised | Panel 1 | Panel 3 | Panel 1 + 3 | UK | France | Spain | |
| Adenovirus screen | N | Y | Y | N | Y | 24 | 8 | 48 |
| Aspergillus serum antigen | N | Y | N | N | N | 36.5 | 16.5 | 72 |
| BAL culture | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 72 |
| Blood culture | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 24 | 72 |
| Chlamydophila sp serology | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 10 | 72 |
| Chlamydophila sp PCR (respiratory sample) | Y | Y | N | N | N | 36 | 8 | 12 |
| COVID-19 PCR | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | 4.5 | 5 | 12 |
| Cryptococcus serum antigen | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 7.5 | 12 |
| Cytomegalovirus PCR (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 8 | 8 |
| Cytomegalovirus PCR serum | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 8 | 8 |
| Cytomegalovirus PCR (sputum sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 8 | 8 |
| Epstein-Barr Virus screen | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 7.5 | 48 |
| Legionella culture (BAL sample) | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 9 | 24 |
| Legionella culture (sputum sample) | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 9 | 24 |
| Legionella PCR (BAL sample) | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 48 | 9 | 10 |
| Legionella PCR (pleural fluid sample) | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 48 | 9 | 10 |
| Legionella PCR (sputum sample) | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 48 | 9 | 10 |
| Legionella urinary antigen test | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 24 | 7 | 4 |
| Mycobacterium culture (BAL sample) | Y | Y | N | N | N | 72 | 12 | 72 |
| Mycobacterium culture (sputum sample) | Y | Y | N | N | N | 72 | 12 | 72 |
| Mycobacterium PCR | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 9 | 4 |
| Mycology culture (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 72 |
| Mycology culture (sputum sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 72 |
| Mycology PCR (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 12 |
| Mycology PCR (sputum sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 12 |
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae serology | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 48 | 12 | 48 |
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae PCR (respiratory sample) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 48 | 8 | 10 |
| Nocardia culture | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 72 |
| Non-tuberculous mycobacteriab PCR (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 12 | 4 |
| Pleural fluid culture | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 24 | 48 |
| Pneumocystis jirovecii IF (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 36.5 | 10 | 72 |
| Pneumocystis jirovecii IF (sputum sample) | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 36.5 | 10 | 72 |
| Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR (BAL sample) | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 48 | 8 | 72 |
| Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR (sputum sample) | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 48 | 8 | 72 |
| Respiratory virus PCR screen (respiratory sample) | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | 36 | 8 | 48 |
| Sputum culture | Y | Y | N | N | N | 48 | 24 | 72 |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 24 | 7 | 4 |
Abbreviations: BAL Bronchoalveolar lavage, ES Spain, FR France, IF Immunofluorescence, N No, PCR Polymerase chain reaction, sp Species, TB Tuberculosis, UK United Kingdom, Y Yes. Shaded areas are used to indicate where diagnostic tests could be omitted when using the panel/s
aTurnaround time refers to the time from when the sample is collected to the result being available to the clinician. Median turnaround time based on reported data
bThe convention is to refer to these as non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), although the culture process does not differentiate between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and NTM