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Rapid influenza test in young febrile infants for the identification of low-risk patients

Santiago Mintegi1, Juan José Garcia-Garcia, Javier Benito

  • 1Paediatric Emergency Department, Hospital Cruces, Barakaldo, Basque Country, Spain. santiago.mintegi@osakidetza.net

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|August 6, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Rapid influenza tests (RIT) can identify febrile infants at lower risk for serious bacterial infections. A positive RIT in infants suggests routine blood cultures may not be necessary, improving emergency department efficiency.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Febrile infants under 3 months present a diagnostic challenge.
  • Distinguishing viral from bacterial infections is crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of rapid influenza testing (RIT) in febrile infants.
  • To determine if RIT can help identify infants with a lower risk of serious bacterial infections (SBIs).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 381 febrile infants (<3 months) with blood cultures and RIT.
  • Comparison of SBI prevalence between positive and negative RIT groups.

Main Results:

  • Significantly lower SBI prevalence in the positive RIT group (2.65%) vs. negative RIT group (17.5%).
  • No positive blood cultures in the positive RIT group; 8 positive blood cultures in the negative RIT group.
  • All 5 positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures were in the negative RIT group.

Conclusions:

  • RIT can identify febrile infants at lower risk for SBIs during influenza season.
  • Routine blood cultures may be unnecessary for infants with a positive RIT.

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