Rachel Fieldhouse POINT-of-care diagnostic tests for res-

while elevated CRP alone suggests a bacterial infection , according to the

do not need antibiotics and they are not going to be effective ,” he said .

scheme of healthcare , were significant considerations for routine general

piratory tract infections could help GPs

test instructions .

“ In the Australian and US context ,

practice .

decide which patients need antibiotics ,

Results take about 12 minutes to

we had exactly the same feedback .”

A 2017 sponsor-funded study

although an expert warns they will not

appear . Each test costs $ 25 .

Despite being TGA approved since

reported that the sensitivity of the test

replace clinical judgement .

Sam Lanyon , non-executive chair-

2020 , the tests only became commer-

was 80 % and 87 % for bacterial and

One TGA-approved brand is

man of Lumos Diagnostics , which

cially available in Australia last year .

viral infections , respectively .

FebriDx , with a cassette similar to a

makes FebriDx , said the test was

Mr Lanyon said applying for Medi-

“ These imperfect test performance

rapid antigen test that uses a finger-

developed after discussions with the

care funding was a long-term goal .

metrics mean there remains a need for

prick blood sample to detect elevated

Royal College of General Practitioners

Professor Mark Morgan , chair of the

clinical judgement , patient counselling

levels of CRP and myxovirus resistance

in the UK .

RACGP Expert Committee — Quality

and safety-net advice ,” Professor Mor-

Professor Mark Morgan .

protein A ( MxA ). Elevated MxA indicates a viral infection regardless of elevated CRP ,

“ A fast , cost-effective point-of-care test would be useful to help them provide the evidence to a patient that they

Care , said the tests had potential . However , he said the cost and waiting time , while small in the grand

gan said .

J Clin Med 2017 ; 7 Oct .

PAGE 5

have been

caused by the measles

vaccine itself .

During the Senate

hearings , when asked

about this , he said his

“ words had nothing to do

with vaccine uptake ” in

the country .

But he also insisted

there was still no proof

that the Samoa deaths

had been caused by measles

, saying , “ We don ’ t

know what was killing

them .”

Samoa ’ s current

Director-General of

Health , Aiono Professor

Alec Ekeroma , told the

Associated Press that Mr

Kennedy ’ s Senate testimony

was “ a total fabrication

… a complete lie ”.

“ It was measles ; the

diagnosis was made .

There were many international

experts that

were on the ground at

the time , including medical

officers from New

Zealand and Australia .

“ They were all here ,

and they can vouch it

was measles that killed

these people .”

He went on to say the

measles outbreak was a

tragedy in the country ’ s

history , and vaccination

rates had now increased

to 80 % on the island .

“ To have an antivaxxer

at the top of the

US health system is not

good for anyone .”

Robert F Kennedy Jr ( left ) with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi .