COVID-19 rapid molecular point-of-care testing is effective and cost-beneficial for the acute care of trauma patients

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy and cost benefit of a rapid molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) device detecting COVID-19 within a traumatological emergency department. BACKGROUND: Despite continuous withdrawal of COVID-19 restrictions, hospitals will remain particularly vulnerable to local outbreaks which is reflected by a higher institution-specific basic reproduction rate. Patients admitted to the emergency department with unknown COVID-19 infection status due to a- or oligosymptomatic COVID-19 infection put other patients and health care workers at risk, while fast diagnosis and treatment is necessary. Delayed testing results in additional costs to the health care system. METHODS: From the 8th of April 2021 until 31st of December 2021, all patients admitted to the emergency department were tested with routine RT-PCR and rapid molecular POCT device (Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19). COVID-19-related additional costs for patients admitted via shock room or emergency department were calculated based on internal cost allocations. RESULTS: 1133 rapid molecular tests resulted in a sensitivity of 83.3% (95% CI 35.9–99.6%), specificity of 99.8% (95% CI 99.4–100%), a positive predictive value of 71.4% (95% CI 29–96.3%) and a negative predictive value of 99.9% (95% CI 99.5–100%) as compared to RT-PCR. Without rapid COVID-19 testing, each emergency department and shock room admission with subsequent surgery showed additional direct costs of 2631.25€, without surgery of 729.01€. CONCLUSION: Although rapid molecular COVID-19 testing can initially be more expensive than RT-PCR, subsequent cost savings, improved workflows and workforce protection outweigh this effect by far. The data of this study support the use of a rapid molecular POCT device in a traumatological emergency department.