European Respiratory Society/European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases state-of-the-science statement on the role of rapid diagnostic tests for the diagnosis and management of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections

Antimicrobial resistance is a significant threat to healthcare worldwide. The appropriate use of antimicrobials could decrease the excess morbidity of respiratory infections and contribute to reducing the emergence of multidrug resistance. For this purpose, the European Union has funded the VALUE-Dx project to assess the value of rapid diagnostic tests in combatting antimicrobial resistance by optimizing antibiotic use in community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (CA-LRTI). In this context, the current statement aims to review the literature and current practice regarding the role of rapid diagnostic tests in managing CA-LRTI for antibiotic stewardship purpose and combatting antimicrobial resistance. In particular, this paper evaluates the accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests for the aetiological diagnosis of CA-LRTI, the usefulness of biomarkers and clinical algorithms in the management of CA-LRTI, the differences in aetiology according to the diagnostic protocol and tests applied for CA-LRTI after the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests for a complete microbiological investigation and, finally, the role of rapid diagnostic tests in antibiotic stewardship protocols in improving clinical outcomes.