title: Multicenter clinical evaluation of the novel Alere™ i Influenza A&B isothermal nucleic acid amplification test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid detection of influenza infection is important for patient management and timely anti-viral therapy. Rapid antigen detection tests for influenza have inferior sensitivity when compared to nucleic acid-based amplification tests. An isothermal nucleic acid amplification test that offers the potential for rapid molecular testing at the clinical point-of-care with simple equipment can improve influenza detection rates.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the performance of Alere™ i Influenza A&B isothermal nucleic acid amplification test to detect influenza A and B in comparison to viral cell culture as reference method.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, multicenter, clinical study to evaluate the clinical performance of the Alere™ i Influenza A&B assay in a point-of-care setting using prospectively enrolled specimens from both children and adults was conducted in seven sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with viral cell culture, the overall sensitivity and specificity of the Alere™ i Influenza A&B assay was 97.8% and 85.6% for the detection of influenza A, and 91.8% and 96.3% for the detection of influenza B, respectively. Following resolution of discrepant results by real-time RT-PCR the sensitivity and specificity of the Alere™ i Influenza A&B assay improved to 99.3% and 98.1% for influenza A, and 97.6% and 100% for influenza B, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Alere™ i Influenza A&B isothermal nucleic acid amplification test is an ideal point-of-care test for influenza detection in children and adults due to its high sensitivity and specificity and ability to generate results within 15 min from specimen receipt.
authors: Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States; University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, United States.
authors: Jeremiah
authors: J
authors: Bell
authors: Veritas, P.A., Belton, TX, United States.
authors: Aleta
authors: A
authors: Bonner
authors: Nationwide Children's and the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
authors: Daniel M
authors: DM
authors: Cohen
authors: New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, United States.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Birkhahn
authors: Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors: Ram
authors: R
authors: Yogev
authors: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States.
authors: Wayne
authors: W
authors: Triner
authors: Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States.
authors: Jason
authors: J
authors: Cohen
authors: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Palavecino
authors: Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States; University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, United States. Electronic address: rselvarangan@cmh.edu.
authors: Rangaraj
authors: R
authors: Selvarangan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alere™ i Influenza; Influenza; Nucleic acid amplification; POC; RADT