Aim: To determine the impact of rapid influenza test (RIT) on the prescription of additional tests, antibiotics and oseltamivir, and the influence of oseltamivir on clinical signs and parents' day work stoppage.
Methods: Prospective study in the pediatric emergency department of Nice University Hospital from 29th January 2007 to 3rd March 2007 including children from 1 month to 6 years old with fever greater or equal to 38.5 degrees C for less than 48 h. Virologic research on nasopharyngeal aspiration was: immunofluorescence, cell culture and RIT Quickvue. Clinical informations, additional tests and treatments were registered for each child. An antiviral treatment (oseltamivir) was proposed to children older than 1 year with positive RIT. Evolution at 7 days was evaluated by phone contact.
Results: One hundred and seventy-seven children were included (mean age 24 months, sex-ratio 1.88). The RIT was positive in 42.3% (n=75). Compared with cell culture, the sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the RIT were, respectively, 95.6, 91.6, 88 and 97%. Clinical signs significantly correlated to influenza were: impairment, rhinitis and acute otitis media. In the RIT positive group, there were significantly less additional tests (13 versus 36) and particularly urinalysis (5 versus 19), and more spreading in the family (p=0.0002). There was not any significant difference concerning hospitalizations, antibiotic prescriptions, or parents' day work stoppage.
Conclusion: During influenza epidemic, in a pediatric emergency department, RIT allows a reduction of additional tests in febrile young children, particularly urinalysis.