Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
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Comparative Study
Real-time PCR compared to Binax NOW and cytospin-immunofluorescence for detection of influenza in hospitalized patients.
Rapid tests have had a significant impact on influenza diagnosis, but more accurate tests are needed for hospitalized patients who test negative by rapid methods. ⋯ The accuracy of real-time RT-PCR should greatly improve the diagnosis of influenza in hospitals using simple rapid flu tests, but may have a more modest impact in hospitals with expertise in cytospin-DFA. Further studies are needed to determine the effect of influenza RT-PCR on patient management and costs in hospitalized patients.