RAP media thread., page-2097

Diagnostic errors are common in acute pediatric respiratory disease: a prospective, single-blinded multicenter diagnostic accuracy study in Australian Emergency Departments
Paul Porter, Joanna Brisbane, Jamie Tan, Natasha Bear, Jennifer Choveaux, Phillip Della, Udantha Abeyratne.
July 7, 2021
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.06.21259221v1.full-text
Conclusion
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report on diagnostic error rates in well-resourced E.D.s for undifferentiated acute childhood respiratory diseases. Although these conditions represent the most common reasons for children to be taken to an ED and account for some of the more serious pediatric disorders, they are frequently misdiagnosed. The high diagnostic error rate for pneumonia is particularly concerning. Further, our results point to the risks posed to individuals caused by these errors, including the prescription of inappropriate tests and treatments whilst appropriate therapy is delayed or not given. More specifically, study participants received unnecessary antibiotics for bronchiolitis (14.5%), asthma (7.3%) and iURTD (6.9%) and were subjected to ionizing radiation. Incorrect antibiotic use carries implications for both individuals and the broader community in terms of antibiotic resistance and resource allocation.

To reduce the risk of harm associated with diagnostic errors, further studies should focus on objective methods to improve diagnostic accuracy, such as AI-based systems. Repeating this study in environments with limited clinical and diagnostic support resources would help to establish a baseline from which to assess the usefulness of new diagnostic modalities.