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Article: ASM Recommends Nasopharyngeal Flocked Swabs as the Specimen of Choice for Influenza a Testing (Including H1N1).
- Article from:
- Virus Weekly
- Article date:
- November 10, 2009
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Preparing for this flu season, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) PSAB Committee on Laboratory Practices has recently published a new interim algorithm providing guidance to clinical laboratories responsible for testing patients with respiratory illness for Influenza A, including H1N1. The document provides a detailed flowchart that guides microbiologists and physicians through patient assessment and differential diagnosis, and provides recommendations for confirmatory testing. The algorithm focuses particular attention on the critical first step, collection of an optimal specimen, because this step determines the sensitivity and accuracy of the diagnosis. The ASM ...