Performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B Rapid Test for Pandemic H1N1 (2009) Virus Infection in Adults

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue® Influenza A+B rapid test we conducted a prospective observational study in which this rapid test was compared with a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection in Austrian adults. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the QuickVue test compared with the RT-PCR were 26% (95% CI 18–35), 98% (95% CI 92–100), 94% (95% CI 80–99) and 50% (95% CI 42–58), respectively. The prevalence of pandemic H1N1 (2009) virus infection among the 209 patients included in the study was 57%. Our data suggest that a positive QuickVue test provides considerable information for the diagnosis of pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) virus infection in young adults but that a negative QuickVue test result should, if relevant for patient management or public health measures, be verified using PCR

The numbers of specimens with a positive RIDT result were determined within four intervals of cycle threshold (Ct) values: 20.3–27.1, 27.2–30.3, 30.5–34.8, 34.9–41.6 (quartiles of Ct values).

<p>The numbers of specimens with a positive RIDT result were determined within four intervals of cycle threshold (Ct) values: 20.3–27.1, 27.2–30.3, 30.5–34.8, 34.9–41.6 (quartiles of Ct values).</p

Performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B rapid test in comparison with RT-PCR in the diagnosis of pandemic H1N1 (2009) virus infection.^a

a<p>confidence interval (CI).</p

Ct values of respiratory specimens in 119 patients with RT-PCR-confirmed pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) virus infections.

<p>Ct values are compared between patients who had positive (Ct median 28.44) and negative (Ct median 31.9) results in the QuickVue Influenza A+B rapid test (p<0.001). The box shows the median and interquartile range (box length). The whiskers represent minimum/maximum values. Individual values are presented as circles.</p