[Quick diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infection]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a frequent cause of respiratory tract infections in children, and the infection spreads rapidly in hospitals. It is therefore important to diagnose the disease quickly. We have examined two quick tests for detecting RSV-antigen in nasopharyngeal aspirates: Directigen RSV (Becton Dickinson, MD, USA) and TestPack RSV (Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL, USA). Both tests are based on the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) principle. The results were compared with a method using direct immunofluorescence. When the immunofluorescence test was used as the standard, the sensitivities of Directigen and TestPack were 83 and 74%, and the specificities 84 and 100%, respectively. Both of the EIA-tests had a lower sensitivity than desired, and Directigen gave some uninterpretable results. The tests may be considered for use in small laboratories with limited facilities or as a supplement to other diagnostic methods.