From this week onwards, at the Emergency Department of the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, everyone who is admitted to hospital with corona symptoms will receive a fast PCR test that provides clarity about three viruses in twenty minutes: the corona virus and Influenza A and B; the two viruses that cause the flu.
The samples from the fast PCR test are used on the so-called Liat, a device that can check one sample at a time.
This test is not completely new for Catharina Hospital. “We use this test in the flu season. We have been doing this for three years. What is new is that we now also immediately check whether a patient has corona. The patient is therefore checked for three viruses in one test. It is precisely this combination that is important because as a hospital we care for all patients with complaints that may be compatible with the coronavirus or influenza in isolation ”, says Emergency Department manager, Marieke van Schijndel,“ in recent months we already had access to a rapid corona test that could 1.5 hours gave a result, but the Liat provides clarity even faster. And that is very nice in a busy emergency room, because now we can assess even faster whether a patient needs to be sent to a special ward or whether he can be admitted to a regular nursing ward. With this rapid PCR test, the pressure on care can be spread much better throughout the hospital. ”
Emergency department staff have been trained in recent weeks to perform the rapid PCR test. “This is done under the supervision of PAMM, the laboratory for pathology and medical microbiology. PAMM ensures the quality of the system, “explains microbiologist Dr. Ilse Overdevest.” The PCR test on the Liat is just as reliable as the regular PCR test. “
In the current pandemic, all test materials are distributed centrally in the Netherlands by the National Diagnostic Chain Coordination Team (LCDK). “PAMM is assigned a number of rapid PCR tests per week for the entire region and distributes them to the hospitals. Because we cannot get unlimited access to the tests, it is important to handle them properly. That is also the reason that we only use the rapid PCR tests for patients who are admitted to the hospital via the ER. ”
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