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Rapid Influenza Testing
Influenza is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening viral respiratory infection
affecting millions of Americans annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), rapid detection of epidemic-causing flu viruses allows for more
appropriate infection management, including reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics,
reducing the spread of infection within the healthcare environment and faster tracking
and reporting. Rapid, reliable detection of Flu A and B may ultimately reduce costs and
improve patient outcomes.
Influenza has Far-reaching and Serious Consequences

Each year, 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population becomes ill with “the flu.” 1

Two types of flu virus cause human epidemics: A and B.
o
o
o
Clinicians need to distinguish between the two, as Type A is reportable.
Type A influenza is the most freightening, believed responsible for the global
outbreaks of 1918, 1957 and 1968.2
Local, state and national surveillance programs to report and track the virus aid
in diagnosis and alert community health care workers to epidemics.

Flu can lead to severe complications, and results in more than 200,000 hospitalizations
and approximately 36,000 deaths each year.3
o Very young, elderly and people with compromised immune systems are more
likely to develop complications, including pneumonia, bronchitis, or worsening of
chronic illness such as asthma or congestive heart failure.4

As a highly contagious disease, quick and reliable diagnosis is essential to limit disease
spread, particularly in health care settings.
Differentiating Flu: The Link Between Flu, Nosocomial Infection and Antibiotic
Resistance

Diagnostic testing is needed to determine whether illness is due to flu virus; symptoms
alone are not enough.5
o Flu symptoms include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore
throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.

Some bacterial infections have similar symptoms6, which can lead to misdiagnosis and
misuse of antibiotics.

Overuse and unnecessary use of antibiotics is a major contributor to the growing problem
of antibiotic resistance.
o Nearly 100,000 people die each year from infections they contract in the hospital,
often because the causative bacteria are resistant to antibiotics.7 Illness from
these infections can last longer, and increases the risk of complications and
death.
Rapid Detection Helps Guide Right Treatment for the Right Infection in the Right
Timeframe

Rapid flu tests are increasingly being used to help provide timely and reliable diagnosis,
avoid unnecessary and costly diagnostic tests and guide appropriate treatment.

Traditional viral culture, which can take 3-10 days often does not provide results in time
to determine who will benefit from antiviral therapy.8
o Flu antivirals have a 48-hour recommended therapeutic window for prescribing,9
making rapid testing even more essential.

A study from the University of Rochester suggests that rapid flu testing in hospitalized
individuals significantly reduced antibiotic use in those patients with positive rapid flu test
results.10

A clear and rapid result can lead to prompt isolation and appropriate treatment, reducing
the risk of spreading the flu virus to others.
o Influenza acquired in the hospital results in approximately $3,800 in extra
charges per patient, according to one study. 11
New Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Test

The 3M™ Rapid Detection Flu A+B Test is a sensitive assay designed to deliver reliable,
qualitative and objective automated results in 15 minutes.
1
CDC. Influenza: The Disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. About Flu: Diagnosis.
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/Flu/aboutFlu/DefinitionsOverview.htm
3 CDC. Influenza: The Disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm
4 CDC. Influenza: The Disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm
5 CDC. Influenza: The Disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm (How to
Know section)
6 CDC. Role of Laboratory Diagnosis of Influenza. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professional/diagnosis/labrole.htm
7 Mayo Clinic. Antibiotics: Too Much of a Good Thing. Available at:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antibiotics/FL00075
8 CDC. Interim Guidance for Influenza Diagnostic Testing During the 2006-07 Influenza Season.
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professional/diagnosis/0607testingguide.htm
9Falsey A, Murata Y, Wash E. Impact of rapid diagnosis on management of adults hospitalized
with influenza. Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167:354-360.
2
10
Falsey A, Murata Y, Wash E. Impact of rapid diagnosis on management of adults hospitalized
with influenza. Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167:354-360.
11Falsey A, Murata Y, Wash E. Impact of rapid diagnosis on management of adults hospitalized
with influenza. Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167:354-360.