Abstract
Rapid influenza diagnosis can facilitate targeted treatment and reduce antibiotic misuse. However, diagnosis efficacy remains unclear. This study examined the efficacy of a colloidal gold rapid test for rapid influenza diagnosis. Clinical characteristics of 520 patients with influenza-like illness presenting at a fever outpatient clinic during two influenza seasons (2017–2018; 2018–2019) were evaluated. The clinical manifestations and results of routine blood, colloidal gold, and nucleic acid tests were used to construct a decision tree with three layers, nine nodes, and five terminal nodes. The combined positive predictive value of a positive colloidal gold test result and monocyte level within 10.95–12.55% was 88.2%. The combined negative predictive value of a negative colloidal gold test result and white blood cell count > 9.075 × 109/L was 84.9%. The decision-tree model showed the satisfactory accuracy of an early influenza diagnosis based on colloidal gold and routine blood test results.
Highlights
Seasonal influenza is an acute viral infection that affects people of all age groups worldwide
The results of the decision tree analysis revealed that clinical symptoms did not determine the diagnosis of influenza
This study used decision tree analysis to show that a colloidal gold test and routine blood tests can increase the accuracy of the rapid diagnosis of influenza
Summary
Seasonal influenza is an acute viral infection that affects people of all age groups worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, influenza viruses infect between 5 and 15% of the global population, causing an estimated 3–5 million severe cases and up to 650,000 respiratory deaths a year[1,2]. Craddock et al.[3] reported that 17.2 and 25.4% of viral acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTI) were inappropriately treated with antibiotics at urban internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) ambulatory care clinics, respectively. A previous study reported that, among 6136 patients with acute respiratory infections (ARIs), 2522 (41%) had diagnoses for which antibiotics are not indicated; 2106 (84%) patients were diagnosed as having a viral upper respiratory tract infection or bronchitis[4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
