Impact of Rapid Diagnosis on Management of Adults Hospitalized With Influenza

Abstract

Advances in diagnostic technology allow the rapid identification of a number of common viral infections.^1-4 Rapid tests for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus using enzyme immunoassay methods are commercially available and widely used.^5-7 In addition, diagnostic testing using molecular technology continues to evolve in terms of improved sensitivity and number of detectable pathogens.^8,9 The rapid diagnosis of influenza in hospital settings is important for infection control and potential antiviral therapy. However, most common respiratory viruses require only standard infection control practices and antiviral therapies are not yet available. Yet, it is possible that timely diagnoses of such viruses may still result in benefits for patient care. When used in febrile children, rapid tests for influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and enterovirus have been shown to reduce antibiotic use, ancillary diagnostic testing, and length of hospital stays.^10-14 Because essentially no data are available for adults, we retrospectively compared the clinical management of adults hospitalized with documented influenza in whom rapid influenza test results were positive on admission with those in whom the diagnosis of influenza was made by other means and, thus, the diagnosis was either delayed or unavailable during the hospital course.