Influence of Rapid Influenza Test on Clinical Management of Children Younger than Five with Febrile Respiratory Tract Infections

Abstract

Children are an important vector for spreading influenza and they are at increased risk for complications. The appropriate diagnosis of influenza may help start early antiviral treatment and may optimize the use of antibiotics and additional laboratory tests. The objective of this study was to describe the influence of rapid influenza detection test (RIDT) on clinical management of children with acute febrile respiratory tract infections. The method consisted of a prospective, open, cohort study conducted in three primary care clinics in Warsaw, Poland, during the epidemic influenza seasons of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. A total number of 256 children of the age 0-5 years with symptoms of febrile respiratory tract infection were enrolled into the study. A 115 of them were tested with RIDT (BD Directigen EZ FluA + B) and another 141 children, who were not tested, constituted a control group. We found that RIDT gave positive results in 35 (30%) out of the 115 tested children. Antibiotics, additional blood tests and urinalysis were administered more often in the control group compared with the rapid test group (16% vs. 7%; 14% vs. 5%, and 47% vs. 32%, respectively). Chest radiograms were made only in six cases of children from the control group. We conclude that in children with symptoms of acute febrile respiratory tract infection, the rapid influenza detection test provides a rational use of antivirals, reduces an inappropriate use of antibiotics, and decreases a number of additional tests conducted.