title: A comparison of a rapid test for influenza with laboratory-based diagnosis in a paediatric population.
abstract: The rapid and accurate detection of influenza A and B in a hospital setting is useful to confirm infection, exclude other diseases and assist in the management of patient illness including the possible use of specific antiviral therapy. We evaluated the use of the Directigen Flu A+B in a paediatric hospital laboratory in comparison with the established diagnostic tests direct immunofluorescence, viral culture and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. A total of 193 respiratory specimens were examined and the Directigen test detected positive samples with an 80.8 per cent sensitivity and a specificity of 100 per cent. This study confirms other paediatric studies which have found the Directigen Flu A+B to be less sensitive than traditional laboratory tests but nevertheless to have a potential role in patient management especially when a positive result is obtained.
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Aeron C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hurt
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Fee Yee
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Alan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hampson
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral