Using record linkage to examine testing patterns for respiratory viruses among children born in Western Australia

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 145; no. 8; pp. 1688 - 1698
• Main Authors: LIM, F. J., BLYTH, C. C., KEIL, A. D., DE KLERK, N., MOORE, H. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-06-2017
• Subjects: Age; Archives & records; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Cohort Studies; Datasets; Epidemiology; Female; Geographical distribution; Gestation; Hospitals; Humans; Identification methods; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Internet; Laboratories; Linked Data; Male; Mass Screening - standards; Medical diagnosis; Medical Record Linkage; Medicine; Midwifery; Native peoples; Original Papers; Pathogens; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections - diagnosis; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Socioeconomic Factors; Streptococcus infections; Studies; Test procedures; Viral infections; Virology; Virus Diseases - diagnosis; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - virology; Viruses; Viruses - isolation & purification; Western Australia - epidemiology; Australia; Diagnostic testing; record linkage; respiratory infections; virology (human) and epidemiology
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268817000413

Changes in respiratory pathogen testing can affect disease burden estimates. Using linked data, we describe changes in respiratory virus testing among children born in Western Australia in 1996–2012. We extracted data on respiratory specimens from these children from birth to age 9 years. We estimated testing rates by age, year, Aboriginal status and geographical location. Predictors of testing among children hospitalised at least once before their 10th birthday were identified using logistic regression. We compared detection methods for respiratory viruses from nasal/nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens by age and year. Of 83 199 virology testing records in 2000–2012, 80% were nasal/NP specimens. Infants aged <1 month had the highest testing rates. Testing rates in all children increased over the study period with considerable yearly fluctuations. Among hospitalised children, premature children <32 weeks gestation had over three times the odds of being tested (95% CI 3·47–4·13) than those born at term. Testing using molecular methods increased from 5% to 87% over the study period. Proportion of positive samples increased from 36·3% to 44·4% (P < 0·01); this change was greatest in children aged 2–9 years. These findings will assist in interpreting results from future epidemiology studies assessing the pathogen-specific burden of disease.