Impact of Early Diagnostic Screening on Clinical Management and Hospital Admission Patterns for Febrile Illnesses in Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Febrile cases represent a major diagnostic and management challenge in tertiary healthcare facilities. Early diagnostic screening has been advised for therapeutic and admission decisions but its practical effect on clinical pathway, and patient outcome is under investigated. This study will assess the impact of early diagnostic screening on clinical care, patterns of hospitalization, and patient-reported outcomes of adults presenting with fever in tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was done over a period from January to December 2024 in two tertiary care hospitals, Dhaka. One hundred and twenty successive adult febrile patients (antipyretic cut-off value: ≥38°C) were taken. A structured questionnaire and medical record review were used to gather information on screening, clinical management, hospitalization outcomes, and patient satisfaction. Predictors of hospital admission were determined by multivariable logistic regression. Results: 70.8% of the patients received early diagnostic screening with CBC (82.4%) and rapid antigen tests (58.8%) being performed most frequently. Patients screened were significantly more often admitted (56.5% vs 20.0%, p