Posted on 09/15/2009 11:37:04 AM PDT by OB1kNOb
Calling all medical field FReepers. I need to get to the bottom of an issue currently being debated by our corporate pandemic planning team.
Is there or is there not a blood test that doctor offices can do to determine if there someone is infected with H1N1? If yes, then what is the specific test name?
Information given says the nasal/throat swab test is only 70-75% accurate. Is a blood test more accurate and can it be requested by patients in the doctor's office? Thanks - OB1
There is no blood test for H1N1. The swab test must be sent to a CDC lab to verify that you have H1N1. The test in the Doctor’s office only verifies type A influenza.
No.
Also, the CDC says that the sensitivity of the rapid flu tests (nasal swab) are 10% - 70% (!!!). So you only get a positive between 1/10 and 7/10 of the time in a person with H1N1.
Does this particular test show positive if it's really H1N1?
RT-PCR
It will show positive for both the seasonal flu and H1N1. Thats why a positive test is forwarded for further testing.
Is the RT-PCR test one the doctor’s office can perform, or must send off to lab? What’s the turnaround time? Is it being used by many doctor’s?
Very Important: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/reportingqa.htm
Shows they will be using ALL flu numbers. And that this is the first year this information will be reported - period!
BTW, without divulging telling info to my position, I datamine this type of info for this type of reporting. And I can tell you, there is NO specified test for this as of this time of writing. So yes, the numbers that will be given will be ALL flu. And remember, many do NOT test for flu. But will diagnose and treat for it based on symptoms alone.
Major problem is numbers are used for fear mongering.
The nasal swab only detects flu only as type A and B. Sensitivity will vary based on technique and the quality of the lab performing the test.
H1N1 identification is a send out, generally to the state lab and is based on the nasal swab.
Yes it is posible to test blood for H1N1 antibodies but I do not believe the test is commercially available and clinically would be of dubious value as the test would only become positive after the infection.
An office “dipstick” test is not specific enough, they can detect broad types in an office or ER but not specific strains.
To determine exact subtype you have to do a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, which is actually simple to do if you have the primers and a thermal cycler. (There may be affinity assays like a lateral flow immunoassay that can tell the difference between flu subtypes but I have not encountered them).
There are people working on point-of-care diagnostics that allow ER or big practices to do RT-PCR, but the tech is not widespread, yet.
Oh, forgot to mention, my state has quit testing for H1N1 unless the person tests positive for flu AND requires hospitilization.
H1N1 test numbers will be in no way indicative of actual number of individuals infected.
Sorry...but this is a swab test, which seems to be the only way to test for it. The Dr.’s office has to send it off. Quest Diagnostics can process if you want to go to one of their labs.....but I’m pretty sure they’d have to have a Dr’s order to perform it.
We are probably seeing TONS of Influenza A right now, but rarely culture. There really is no point, if there is nothing you’ll do with the information except to say “yea, you have Swine Flu”.
Right now, we are battling the College Flu. When the college kids come back to campus, they make each other sick by passing viruses.
We’re seeing the same from the pre-college schools.
The ID doc I work with expects that we’ll see 6 weeks of intense flu activity and then it will drop off.
Not sure about what test is being used, but found this link:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/reportingqa.htm
EXCERPT:
FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 24, 2009
..FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Another Test for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced it has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a another diagnostic test for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, whose spread has caused the virus to be characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The EUA for the Focus Diagnostics Influenza H1N1 (2009) Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic test is the third diagnostic test authorized under an EUA by the FDA since the public health emergency involving the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus was declared on April 26, 2009.
But if this test was being used to any degree in ‘major’ systems, I should be able to find it. But it could be coming down the pipes any day. But haven’t seen it and don’t see it now.
So if ‘we’ don’t have it, that means other large facilities must be reporting the same as us - the Flu.
Just out of curiousity, as no one is asking and probably all know the answer... Why would you get your employee’s private medical test results?
—
The Wiki on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_transcription_polymerase_chain_reaction
Excerpt:
..
RT-PCR is commonly used in studying the genomes of viruses whose genomes are composed of RNA, such as Influenzavirus A and retroviruses like [[HIV][Herpis Simplex Virus].
It is a catch all term.
Kinds like a trend.
Next year is will be the Bamboozle Strain and they won’t be able to figure if you need 1, 2 or 3 shots and indications are that as many as 12 will be required.
But, that is just what scientist say based on some disturbing studies.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.