Survey of influenza and other respiratory viruses diagnostic testing in US hospitals, 2012-2013.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about laboratory capacity to routinely diagnose influenza and other respiratory viruses at clinical laboratories and hospitals.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to assess diagnostic practices for influenza and other respiratory virus in a survey of hospitals and laboratories participating in the US Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network in 2012-2013.


METHODS
All hospitals and their associated laboratories participating in the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET) were included in this evaluation. The network covers more than 80 counties in 15 states, CA, CO, CT, GA, MD, MN, NM, NY, OR, TN, IA, MI, OH, RI, and UT, with a catchment population of ~28 million people. We administered a standardized questionnaire to key personnel, including infection control practitioners and laboratory departments, at each hospital through telephone interviews.


RESULTS
Of the 240 participating laboratories, 67% relied only on commercially available rapid influenza diagnostic tests to diagnose influenza. Few reported the availability of molecular diagnostic assays for detection of influenza (26%) and other viral pathogens (≤20%) in hospitals and commercial laboratories.


CONCLUSIONS
Reliance on insensitive assays to detect influenza may detract from optimal clinical management of influenza infections in hospitals.
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.|Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Su
S
Su
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Alicia M
AM
Fry
California Emerging Infections Program, Oakland, CA, USA.
Pam Daily
PD
Kirley
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO, USA.
Deborah
D
Aragon
Connecticut Emerging Infectious Program, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
Kimberly
K
Yousey-Hindes
Connecticut Emerging Infectious Program, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
James
J
Meek
Georgia Emerging Infections Program and the Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Kyle
K
Openo
Iowa Department of Public Health, Des Moines, IA, USA.
Oluwakemi
O
Oni
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI, USA.
Ruta
R
Sharangpani
Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, USA.
Craig
C
Morin
University of Rochester Center for Community Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Gary
G
Hollick
Ohio Department of Health, Columbus, OH, USA.
Krista
K
Lung
Oregon Public Health Division, Portland, OR, USA.
Matt
M
Laidler
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
Mary Lou
ML
Lindegren
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
William
W
Schaffner
Utah Department of Health, Salt lake city, UT, USA.
Annette
A
Atkinson
Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Sandra S
SS
Chaves
D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
EIP; FluSurv-NET; influenza; laboratory capacity; respiratory viruses