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June 08, 2026
RESPIRATORY HEALTH
Article
How Point-of-Care PCR Is Transforming Emergency Medicine at Essen
During periods of high viral activity and limited hospital capacity, emergency departments face significant diagnostic challenges. At University Hospital Essen in Germany, these pressures increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an evaluation of whether point-of-care (POC), PCR could address delays associated with traditional laboratory testing. For Prof. Clemens Kill, an emergency medicine specialist, the benefits soon became clear.
Emergency departments (ED) rely on rapid decision-making, but respiratory infections introduce uncertainty that slows clinical operations. Questions about isolation, therapy initiation, and bed turnover arise. Traditional laboratory PCR, though accurate, often required four to twenty-four hours for results, causing bottlenecks in isolation rooms, cleaning, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and staff safety. “In the ED, those delays affect everything,” Prof. Kill says. “Beds stay blocked, materials get consumed, and patients remain isolated even when they don’t need to be.”
The Limits of Rapid Antigen Testing
Many hospitals initially turned to rapid antigen tests in the hope of easing the diagnostic burden, but Essen’s data revealed their limitations. With a specificity of 99.6%1 but a sensitivity of just 68.8%1, antigen testing risked missing nearly one-third of true infections. “A test with that level of uncertainty cannot guide safe decisions in emergency care,” Prof. Kill notes, especially when isolation capacity is already under strain. Negative antigen results often require confirmatory PCR, adding more waiting time.
The introduction of POC PCR testing marked a turning point. By reducing turnaround time to an average of 1.61 hours, compared with the hospital lab’s 16-hour1 average, the ED gained the ability to make confident decisions earlier in the patient journey. Isolation of patients awaiting results dropped from nearly 90%1 to just 13%1, freeing beds, reducing PPE consumption, and lowering staff exposure risk. “It changed the rhythm of the entire emergency department,” Prof. Kill says. “Suddenly, diagnosis supported the pace at which the ED needs to operate.”
Cost: The Surprising Bottom Line
Although the cost per POC PCR test is higher (€35.20 vs. €11.68) 1, a full cost-of-care analysis told a different story. When accounting for lost bed revenue, prolonged isolation, PPE use, and cleaning cycles, the total cost per patient fell sharply; from €82.681 using the lab PCR pathway to €39.061 with POC PCR. The economics of emergency care, it turned out, favoured the faster option. “When we looked at the whole patient journey, POC PCR became the more economical choice,” Prof. Kill explains.
Beyond operational gains, clinical benefits also emerged. Faster, more reliable diagnostics supported earlier targeted therapy, improved infection control, and strengthened antimicrobial stewardship. For higher-risk and immunocompromised patients, the added speed brought greater safety and more precise care. “Speed matters, but accuracy matters more,” Prof. Kill says. “POC PCR gave us both.”
Today, as hospitals continue to navigate waves of respiratory illnesses, the experience at University Hospital Essen offers an instructive case study in modern emergency care. POC PCR did not simply accelerate testing—it reshaped how an entire department managed uncertainty, resources, and clinical risk. For Kill, the conclusion is unmistakable: “Point of care PCR has become an essential tool in our emergency department. It’s not a temporary measure—it’s part of the future of acute care diagnostics.”
IVD. In vitro Diagnostic Medical Device. May not be available in all countries.
1. Kill, C. (2025, October). The impact of Point‑of‑Care PCR testing in the emergency department – A hands‑on experience [Conference presentation slides]. EU Excellence Champions Club, Solna, Sweden.
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