What does this research mean for the field?

Point-of-care testing reduces the proportion of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia receiving antibiotic prescriptions by 10% and shortens treatment duration by 2.68 days without compromising clinical outcomes. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research evaluates how point-of-care testing influences antibiotic prescribing and clinical outcomes in adults with community-acquired pneumonia.

May 3, 2026Frontiers in Pharmacology0 citationsOpen Access

Point-of-care testing reduces antibiotic prescribing for adults with community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

WJWenshuai JiFirst Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine KXKai XieFirst Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine KZKang ZhangFirst Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Key Points

This research evaluates how point-of-care testing influences antibiotic prescribing and clinical outcomes in adults with community-acquired pneumonia.
Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Searched databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Library
Included nine RCTs with a total of 2,899 participants
Point-of-care testing reduced antibiotic prescriptions by 10% (RD = −0.10; 95% CI: −0.15 to −0.05, P < 0.0001)
Shortened antibiotic treatment duration by 2.68 days (MD = −2.68; 95% CI: −4.41 to −0.95, P = 0.002)
No significant harm noted, with safety outcomes indicating a shorter length of hospital stay (MD = −0.43; 95% CI: −1.41 to 0.54, P = 0.38)

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the impact of point-of-care testing (POCT) on antibiotic prescribing and clinical outcomes in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The final search was conducted on June 2025. Outcomes included both antibiotic-related and clinical outcomes. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251035572). Results Nine RCTs involving 2,899 participants were included. POCT significantly reduced the proportion of adult CAP patients receiving antibiotic prescriptions by 10% (RD = −0.10; 95% CI: −0.15 to −0.05, P 0.0001) and shortened the duration of antibiotic treatment by 2.68 days (MD = −2.68; 95% CI: −4.41 to −0.95, P = 0.002). Available evidence suggests no signal of harm, although safety outcomes were reported in relatively few trials, such as the length of hospital stay (MD = −0.43; 95% CI: −1.41 to 0.54, P = 0.38). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion POCT may reduce antibiotic exposure in patients with CAP without compromising clinical outcomes. As diagnostic innovation plays an increasingly important role in combating antimicrobial resistance, POCT should be used selectively as an adjunct to clinical judgment.

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