Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a leading cause of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits, especially in children under five. These infections are primarily viral, complicating diagnosis and management. This study assesses the impact of point-of-care (POC) rapid diagnostic tests for respiratory viruses on clinical and economic outcomes in a PED setting. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1396 POC tests for RSV, adenovirus, and influenza A/B was conducted in the PED of the Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy, from December 2022 to April 2024. Demographics, blood tests, admissions, and readmission rates were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using appropriate tests for categorical and continuous variables. Results: Of the tests, 31.5% were positive for at least one virus. Positive patients were younger and had higher hospitalization rates (50.7% vs. 39.9%) but fewer blood tests (38.2% vs. 51.7%). Economic analysis indicated lower costs for virus-positive patients. RSV-positive patients showed a significant association with higher hospitalization rates (67.8%) and readmission within 72 h. Conclusions: POC testing significantly improves patient management in PEDs by enabling rapid diagnoses, reducing unnecessary tests and hospitalizations, and guiding appropriate treatment. This approach supports better resource allocation, crucial during peak seasons, and has implications for reducing antibiotic use and resistance. Further research is warranted to explore long-term impacts on patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.

Background Despite evidence showing that the intranasal and sublingual routes are safe and effective in providing analgesia, no data are available about their day-to-day use in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of the use of the intranasal and sublingual routes, and the clinical characteristics of the patients receiving analgesia through these routes. Methods A multicentre study was performed in the EDs participating in the Pain in Paediatric Emergency Room research group. It included a survey and a retrospective data collection in which the medical records of all patients who received analgesia from 1 April 2022 to 31 May 2022 were collected. Results 48 centres (91%) answered the survey. The intranasal and sublingual routes were used in 25 centres (52%). 13 centres (27%) used both routes, 9 centres (19%) used only the sublingual and 3 centres (6%) used only the intranasal route. 12 centres (48%) participated in the retrospective study. Data about 3409 patients, median age 9 years (IQR 5–12), were collected. Among them, 337 patients (9.6%) received sublingual analgesia, and 87 patients (2.5%) received intranasal analgesia. The intranasal route was employed for injuries in 79 (90.8%) cases, and fentanyl was the drug delivered in 85 (97.7%) cases. The sublingual route was used mainly for injuries (57.3%), but also for abdominal pain (15.4%), musculoskeletal pain (14.5%) and headache (10.7%). Paracetamol, ketorolac and tramadol were administered through this route. Conclusions The use of the intranasal and sublingual routes for analgesia in the paediatric ED is still limited.