Rapid molecular diagnostics can help medical teams treat patients better
Exactly one century after the start of the H1N1 flu pandemic that killed more than 500,000 people in the U.S. – and tens of millions worldwide – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the seasonal flu has now reached epidemic proportions in this country. The dominant strain is H3N2, a notoriously virulent flu that is difficult to prevent with vaccination. Through the end of February, the flu has contributed to 97 pediatric deaths this season.
In a situation like this, diagnostic testing is critical to help healthcare professionals get the best possible view of what’s going on. According to the CDC, in the first month of this year, clinical laboratories reported that nearly 25% of samples sent for flu testing generated positive results. Given predictions that flu season is currently peaking, any lab performing these tests right now should be relying on rapid diagnostics to get actionable information to physicians as quickly as possible. Rapid diagnostics not only helps get the right treatment to patients faster, but it also allows people to take measures to avoid infecting others. Learn more with these useful tips from the CDC about molecular diagnostics for flu cases.
Flexibility Helps Manage Varying Demand
One of the biggest challenges for labs running flu diagnostics is the enormous range of demand. Recent news reports have shown some hospitals adding tents to handle droves of waiting patients, but labs can’t simply pitch a tent next door when they need to increase throughput. From minimal orders during the summertime to bursting-at-the-seams capacity in peak flu season, lab professionals need to be able to quickly adapt to changing demands. That’s why the Luminex team is pleased to offer a variety of flexible respiratory testing solutions, allowing for both syndromic and targeted testing.
Our own Inta Veldre wrote an article about the need for flexibility in flu and other respiratory tests for MLO last year. Check it out to learn more about how scalability, flex testing, multiplexing, and other advances are allowing labs to address the challenges of diagnosing influenza.
If you’re considering test options for your laboratory, check out the following publications:
- Commentary: A Clinician’s Perspective on Flexible Testing
- Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of the Luminex ARIES® Flu A/B & RSV Assay for Pediatric and Adult Respiratory Tract Specimens
- Clinical Evaluation of the Luminex NxTAG® Respiratory Pathogen Panel
