Common Diagnostic Tests Fail to Identify Flu in Elderly

Common Diagnostic Tests Fail to Identify Flu in Elderly

A recent study suggests that routine diagnostic tests may not sufficiently identify the flu in elderly hospitalized patients.

Diagnostic tests are used by healthcare professionals to determine the cause of a patient's symptoms or medical complications. Once the healthcare professional gives a diagnosis, a treatment can be prescribed.

Researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee evaluated 228 hospitalized patients over the age of 50 during two consecutive flu seasons. Patients who were presenting symptoms of respiratory illness were tested for the flu via the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction laboratory test. The researchers then compared the results of this test to several tests, including the rapid antigen test, the conventional influenza culture and diagnostic uses of flu-like symptoms.

The researchers detected the flu in 26 patients using the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test. The sensitivity of the rapid antigen test, conventional influenza culture and clinical diagnoses were 19.2, 34.6 and 80.8 percent, respectively.

The authors concluded that due to the poor sensitivity of the rapid antigen test and conventional influenza culture, they should not be used in the hospital setting to detect the flu in elderly patients. Additional research is necessary to further evaluate these results.
For more information about diagnostic tests, please visit Natural Standard's Health & Wellness database.

References

Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/
Talbot HK, Williams JV, Zhu Y, et al. Failure of routine diagnostic methods to detect influenza in hospitalized older adults. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010 Jul;31(7):683-8. View Abstract

www.DEPSYL.com

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/

http://depsyl.blogspot.com/