What is the differential diagnosis of influenza?

What is the differential diagnosis of influenza?

Influenza should be differentiated from other conditions that cause fever, cough, myalgias, headache and fatigue, such as RSV infection, dengue fever, parainfluenza virus infection, ebola infection adenovirus infection, rhinovirus infection, and legionella infection.

What are the most common tests for diagnosing influenza?

The most common is called the rapid influenza antigen test, or rapid influenza diagnostic test. This type of test can provide results in less than half an hour, but is not as accurate as some other types of flu tests. More sensitive tests may require your health care provider to send samples to a specialized lab.

How does influenza get diagnosed?

Rapid molecular assays produce results in 15-20 minutes and are more accurate than RIDTs. In addition to RIDTs and rapid molecular assays, there are several more accurate flu tests available that must be performed in specialized laboratories, such as those found in hospitals or public health laboratories.

Is influenza A must not miss diagnosis?

Due to overlap of influenza symptoms with other illnesses, a clinical diagnosis should be confirmed by a laboratory test (see “Diagnostic Tests” below). In general, clinicians should assess for fever, myalgia, arthralgia, cough, pharyngitis, and rhinorrhea.

Which type of influenza is most virulent?

The subtypes H5 and H7 are the most deadly, while the H9 subtype is less dangerous.

Can influenza be detected by blood test?

Serology tests look for antibodies to influenza viruses in a blood sample. Antibodies are developed as part of the immune system’s reaction to a viral infection. It can take time for antibodies to form, though, so serology tests are used to identify a prior infection.

What is the most specific sensitive and timely diagnostic test for influenza?

Viral diagnostic test options include rapid antigen tests, immunofluorescence assays, and reverse- transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based testing (CDC, 2017). Among these, RT- PCR is the most sensitive and specific (Dolin, 2021).

What are the signs and symptoms of influenza?

Flu Symptoms

• fever* or feeling feverish/chills.
• cough.
• sore throat.
• runny or stuffy nose.
• muscle or body aches.
• headaches.
• fatigue (tiredness)
• some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

What is a differential diagnosis process?

Differential diagnosis is a process wherein a doctor differentiates between two or more conditions that could be behind a person’s symptoms. When making a diagnosis, a doctor may have a single theory as to the cause of a person’s symptoms. They may then order tests to confirm their suspected diagnosis.