Rapid Flu Test with Results in 30 Minutes

Up to 20% of Americans come down with the seasonal flu every year, and many of those suffering from influenza will be prescribed antibiotics when they visit their doctor. The problem: antibiotics kill bacteria, but do not help combat viruses.

Viruses and Antibiotic Resistance

Now antibiotics should certainly be used when needed, but when these antibacterial drugs are prescribed unnecessarily, such as for someone with a viral infection, the world of infectious disease becomes just a little more dangerous and antibiotics just a little less effective. Whenever antibiotics are used, more resistant, dangerous bacteria can be selected for. The overuse of antibiotics essentially creates superbugs, invulnerable to standard antibiotics.

Rapid Flu Test Available

The good news is that, since 2007, there has been a simple, noninvasive test that can be done to screen patients for the influenza virus. It used to take five days for influenza results to be come back from the diagnostic lab. Now, with a simple nasal swab of the mucous membrane inside the nose, results can be obtained within 30 minutes.

Research Shows Early Flu Detection Makes a Difference

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota examined the records of 166 patients who had the flu while hospitalized. About half of those patients tested positive for influenza using the rapids test. The others either tested negative or were not tested at all. Those patients who tested positive early on were less likely to have been unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics. Nearly all of the patients who were not rapid tested ended up being treated with antibiotics.

Most Doctors' Offices Now Have the Fast Influenza Test

When it first came out, the rapid flu test was commonly used in hospitals, but rarely available in a doctor's office, where it could have the greatest impact. Two years later, the test is commonly available in many doctors' offices, particularly during flu season. This is important because, if the family practice doctor can quickly assess when a patient has the flu, the appropriate medication, an antiviral, can be prescribed on the spot.

Rapid Flu Test Only for Influenza

There are many different types of viral respiratory illnesses. Influenza is just one. This test does not work in the diagnosis of all viral illnesses. However, the same types of quick tests are currently being developed for other respiratory viruses, such as coronavirus and rhinovirus (the main cause of the common cold). The RVP is a new test, in which a nasal sample is computer analyzed using a laser to determine the type of virus. However, for now, this cutting edge equipment is typically only available in the larger university hospitals.

Sources

Discoveries and Breakthroughs in Science website, "Infectious Disease Specialists Design New Rapid Flu Test." (2007)

WKRG, Virus Testing Video (2008)