Point-of-care influenza tests
Purins A, Hiller JE
Record ID 32012000245
English
Authors' recommendations:
Several medium level evidence studies show the utility of rapid point-of-care tests for quickly diagnosing patients presenting with influenza like symptoms. The impact of the faster diagnosis can be seen in several ways such as the reduction of ineffective therapeutic measures administered to patients identified as positive for influenza (due to the very high specificity all positives are likely to be true influenza cases). Despite the apparent reduction in inappropriate treatment there was no cost effectiveness data published. All the kits in studies reviewed were of similar performance with only one kit performing poorly in one study. The importance of point-of-care influenza tests is to confirm positive cases of influenza for epidemiological reasons, to be able to provide protection for health care workers and to isolate positive patients, rather than using them as an aid to the clinical management of confirmed cases. In addition, point-of-care influenza tests may be cost-effective in certain subgroups of patients, therefore HealthPACT have recommended that a Horizon Scanning Report be written on this technology.
Details
Project Status:
Completed
Year Published:
2007
URL for published report:
Not Available
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Australia
MeSH Terms
- Influenza, Human
- Diagnosis
Contact
Organisation Name:
Adelaide Health Technology Assessment
Contact Address:
School of Public Health, Mail Drop 545, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, AUSTRALIA, Tel: +61 8 8313 4617
Contact Name:
ahta@adelaide.edu.au
Contact Email:
ahta@adelaide.edu.au
Copyright:
Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (AHTA)
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.