Acute infectious conjunctivitis is one of the most common pediatric infections worldwide, however, the microbial causes of this infection are poorly understood. Though it has been estimated that up to 90% of conjunctivitis in children is viral in origin, over 80% of children with acute conjunctivitis are prescribed an ophthalmic antibiotic. This is a concern because incidence of antimicrobial resistant conjunctivitis is increasing, 8% of children have an adverse reaction to ophthalmic antibiotics, and prescription of ophthalmic antibiotics results in a large health care and social economic burden. Recently, an FDA approved point-of-care rapid antigen detection test for adenovirus conjunctivitis has become available. The test is $10.50, non-invasive, and can be completed in less than 15 minutes in the clinic setting. Implementation of this test may substantially reduce the use of ophthalmic antibiotics in children. The current utility of this test is limited, however, because: (1) data evaluating viral and bacterial causes of conjunctivitis in this age group are lacking; (2) rates of bacterial and viral concurrent infections are unknown; (3) the clinical sensitivity and specificity of the rapid point of care adenovirus test in children has not been assessed; and (4) cost effectiveness analysis for wide spread implementation of the test in pediatric settings has not been conducted. This proposal aims to meet the critical need to improve clinical care for children with conjunctivitis by (1) determining the viral and bacterial causes of conjunctivitis children; (2) clinically validating a rapid point of care adenovirus conjunctivitis test in children; and (3) estimating the percent reduction in unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and cost-effectiveness of implementation of rapid adenovirus conjunctivitis diagnostic tests across health care systems. This project is the culmination of this candidate?s interest and experience in the validation and use of rapid infectious disease diagnostic tests to improve clinical care for children. The objective of this career development award is to develop this candidate into an independent principal investigator in clinical and translational research with expertise in the implementation and evaluation of infectious disease diagnostics in pediatrics. Mentorship, didactic coursework, seminars, and completion of the proposed study will address specific training needs of the investigator including training in the design and conduct of large-scale, multi-center clinical trials, advanced biostatistical analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis. The candidate has assembled a multidisciplinary team of mentors and advisors with extensive research experience and topical expertise in the above realms to ensure her success in achieving the stated specific aims and career goals.
This proposal aims to optimize the clinical care of children with acute infectious conjunctivitis. The proposed research will identify the causes of acute infectious conjunctivitis in children, clinically validate a rapid, point-of- care diagnostic test for adenovirus conjunctivitis in children, and estimate the cost-effectiveness of implementing rapid, point-of-care adenovirus tests for acute conjunctivitis for children across community-based healthcare systems in the United States.
