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bioRxiv · 10.1101/375493

Point of care influenza testing using Alere-i Influenza A & B assay: a practical assessment

Blackmore, T.·Taylor, J.·Kelly, M.·Buckley, J.·Corban, K.·Tan, C. E.·Balm, M.
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Abstract

We assessed the utility of the Alere i Influenza A & B point of care influenza test (Ai-POCIT) with laboratory testing using RT-PCR. 270 adult hospital patients had both Ai-POCIT and laboratory influenza tests conducted on the same sample. Overall, 30% and 32% influenza tests were positive by Ai-POCIT and RT-PCR, respectively. The sensitivity of the Ai-POCIT for influenza A, influenza B and any influenza were 93%, 100%, and 95%, respectively. Specificity was 100% for both viruses, but an 11% test failure rate indicates the need for better training of users. We believe that the use of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs resulted in the observed high performance of the Ai-POCIT in comparison to other published studies. Ai-POCIT was regarded as very useful by front line clinical staff for clinical decision making and acute bed management.

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Blackmore, T., Taylor, J., Kelly, M., Buckley, J., Corban, K., Tan, C. E., Balm, M.. 2018-07-24. Point of care influenza testing using Alere-i Influenza A & B assay: a practical assessment. https://doi.org/10.1101/375493

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