The clinical utility of a near patient care rapid microarray-based diagnostic test for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections in the pediatric setting

• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2013.11.005
• Publication Date: 2013-11-15T11:01:00Z
• Authors: Akihiro Nakao; Ken Hisata; Nobuaki Matsunaga; Makoto Fujimori; Naomi Yoshikawa; Mitsutaka Komatsu; Ken Kikuchi; Hiroshi Takahashi; Toshiaki Shimizu
• Keywords: Male; 0301 basic medicine; Adolescent; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Point-of-Care Systems; Infant; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Microarray Analysis; Orthomyxoviridae; Sensitivity and Specificity; Chromatography, Affinity; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Child, Preschool; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Influenza, Human; Humans; Female; Child

We evaluated the potential clinical utility of an automated near patient molecular assay Verigene Respiratory Virus Plus (RV+) and rapid immunochromatographic antigen tests (RIAT) in the pediatric setting for diagnosis of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections when testing was performed by the pediatrician seeing the patient. Overall, with respect to influenza virus, sensitivity and specificity for RIAT were 70.8% and 100%, respectively, compared to 100% and 96.2%, respectively, for RV+. For respiratory syncytial virus, sensitivity and specificity for RIAT were 78.9% and 100%, respectively, compared to 100% and 100%, respectively, for RV+. When RIAT and RV+ sensitivity for influenza virus was compared based on the time the patient presented after onset of fever, the sensitivity of RIAT at 6 hours was 37.5% compared to 100% for RV+. At 12 hours, RIAT improved to 60.9%. This study confirms the clinical utility of RV+ in the pediatric setting.