Podcast #313: Flu Screening

Author: Dr. Peter Bakes Educational Pearls: High risk patients: underlying lung disease, immunocompromised, extremes of age (65), underlying cardiac/renal/neurologic disease, and pregnant women Testing: RT-PCR (RNA based test that is both sensitive and specific) Workup: comorbidities dictate whether or not they are screened; CXR indicated in high risk patients with respiratory symptoms Morbidity from flu comes from secondary pneumonia, sepsis, and septic shock Treatment options are Tamiflu and Relenza (Relenza is contraindicated in patients with lung disease) High risk patients see average of 2.5 days shortening of illness and a decrease in illness severity. Low risk patients see average of 1.5 days shortening of illness. References: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm Binnicker MJ, Espy MJ, Irish CL, Vetter EA. Direct Detection of Influenza A and B Viruses in Less Than 20 Minutes Using a Commercially Available Rapid PCR Assay. J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Jul; 53(7): 2353-4. Longo, Dan L. (2012). "187: Influenza". Harrison's principles of internal medicine (18th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780071748896.