Diagnostic Digest

Monitor the 2026 rise in Cyclospora infections, explore cyclosporiasis symptoms, and learn how BIOFIRE GI Panels support rapid detection and surveillance.

When an otherwise healthy patient presents to the emergency department (ED) with mild respiratory symptoms, the risks associated with empiric therapy is generally low. Immunocompromised patients, on the other hand, don’t have the luxury of uncertainty. For these at-risk individuals, a missed diagnosis or prolonged exposure to empiric antimicrobials may worsen outcomes.

Diagnostic stewardship programs optimize laboratory testing, improve patient care, reduce unnecessary testing, and support value-based healthcare goals.

Outpatient antimicrobial stewardship is a shared responsibility across healthcare disciplines. Whether you are a clinician, microbiologist, pharmacist, nurse, infection preventionist, or public health professional, small changes can have a meaningful impact.

The Local Health Monitor helps eliminate that uncertainty by delivering a comprehensive, data-driven view of infectious disease activity at the local level. Powered by the latest CDC data, this interactive dashboard helps healthcare teams anticipate patient volumes, optimize testing readiness, and respond with confidence. 

This article summarizes the findings of our “The Value of Preventing Acute Kidney Injury” Dossier, including the current burden of AKI for hospitals, where current risk assessment practices fall short, and how VIDAS® NEPHROCHECK® [TIMP-2 · IGFBP-7] from bioMérieux is designed to fill in the gaps.

The introduction of matrix‑assisted laser desorption/ionization time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‑TOF MS) marked a fundamental shift in how laboratories identify microorganisms, transforming workflows that once emphasized stepwise exclusion into ones driven by rapid, data‑rich pattern recognition.

Behind every diagnosis is a lab professional who made it possible, yet their expertise and dedication rarely get the recognition they deserve. And with the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, just trying to keep up can feel like a challenge.  

The AMR Pathways webinar series raises awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an urgent global health challenge and highlights actions to reduce its burden. Through expert insights, real-world case studies, and practical strategies, the series equips participants to advance antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), drive meaningful change, and navigate evolving policy and diagnostic landscapes.

Vaginitis remains a leading cause of gynecologic-related primary care visits in the United States, yet the approach to diagnosis and treatment continues to present significant challenges for clinicians and public health professionals. Recent studies underscore persistent gaps in diagnostic testing and highlight the consequences for antimicrobial stewardship and patient outcomes.

Combining an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) with a 15-pathogen viral panel to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

This articles features a comparison of the performance of BIOFIRE^® SPOTFIRE^® Respiratory/Sore Throat (R/ST) Panel, Cepheid Xpert^® Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV, and Cobas^® SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B assay for detection of respiratory viruses.