COLUMBUS — A new rapid blood test that is being used at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center aims to help doctors determine whether someone’s infection is viral or bacterial.
The test, called FebriDx, is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved fingerstick blood test that uses a small blood sample, according to our news partners, WBNS.
Heidi Parrill of Powell said that children can easily spread germs through everyday interactions.
“Kids are putting things in their mouths; kids are touching each other’s food,” said Parrill.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Man convicted of killing pregnant woman, teen to be resentenced
- President Trump targets inflation, immigration at Youngstown rally
- Six Flags closes 9 rides after 1 person dies in an incident involving a roller coaster in Georgia
At Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, doctors can use the Febridx test to help determine the best course of treatment for each patient with an infection.
The test requires a quick fingerstick with a small blood sample, with results available within 10 minutes.
“This test will help us because it will tell us if somebody has a viral infection that will get better over time with just over-the-counter medications and time versus a bacterial infection which will need an antibiotic,” said Dr. Luca Delatore, an emergency medicine physician at the Wexner Medical Center.
Doctors say this test could help reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, contributing to less antibiotic resistance.
“We know the inappropriate use of antibiotics can cause resistance, so patients might have an infection someday that an antibiotic won’t work against and that’s actually becoming a much more common problem,” Delatore said.
As testing technology evolves, doctors said faster results can help patients and providers make more informed treatment decisions.
The FebriDx test is available at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center urgent care and advanced urgent care locations.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
@2026 Cox Media Group
