http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/h1n1-rapid-tests-poor-sensitivity.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/h1n1-rapid-tests-poor-sensitivity.html#comment-115569 jhorstkamp Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:27:54 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40822#comment-115569 We at Washington Sate University Student Health have seen hundreds of H1N1 patients in the last couple months. Our experience is that the sensitivity of the rapid test is very poor. We don't do the rapid test, but make the presumptive diagnosis clinically. In those rare cases where we want to know for sure, we use the rt-PCR, which is done at the state lab. Unfortunately the turn-around time is up to a week, so we treat empirically if anti-virals are indicated. We at Washington Sate University Student Health have seen hundreds of H1N1 patients in the last couple months. Our experience is that the sensitivity of the rapid test is very poor. We don’t do the rapid test, but make the presumptive diagnosis clinically. In those rare cases where we want to know for sure, we use the rt-PCR, which is done at the state lab. Unfortunately the turn-around time is up to a week, so we treat empirically if anti-virals are indicated.

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