Question

identify and describe any risks, and consider what further information needed to gain a full understanding of the health of a child with a rapid influenza diagnostic test. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.

Answer 1

Ans) Rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) are immunoassays that can identify the presence of influenza A and B viral nucleoprotein antigens in respiratory specimens, and display the result in a qualitative way (positive vs. negative) (1). In the United States, a number of RIDTs are commercially available.

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The reference standards for laboratory confirmation of influenza virus infection in respiratory specimens are reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or viral culture. RIDTs can yield results in a clinically relevant time frame, i.e., less than approximately 15 minutes. However, RIDTs have limited sensitivity to detect influenza viruses in respiratory specimens compared to RT-PCR or viral culture and negative RIDT test results should be interpreted with caution given the potential for false negative results, especially during peak influenza activity in a community. Some RIDTs use analyzer reader devices to standardize result interpretation.

- RIDTs do not include rapid molecular assays that have higher sensitivity to detect influenza viruses in respiratory specimens compared to RIDTs.