infectious diseases
Overview of Viral Respiratory Infections
Diagnosis of Viral Respiratory Infections
Typically, clinical evaluation and local epidemiology Sometimes diagnostic testing Viral respiratory infections are typically diagnosed clinically based on symptoms and local epidemiology. For patient care, diagnosing the syndrome is usually sufficient; identification of a specific pathogen is rarely necessary. Diagnostic testing should typically be reserved for the following: Situations in which knowing the specific pathogen affects clinical management Epidemiologic surveillance (ie, identifying and determining the cause of an outbreak) Pathogen identification can be important in the rare instances when specific antiviral therapy is contemplated. Currently, such instances are limited to Diagnosis , Rapid point-of-care antigen-based diagnostic tests are readily available for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2, but have poorer sensitivity than laboratory tests. Point-of-care tests are typically reserved for cases when clinical diagnosis is uncertain and Antiviral therapy is being considered. Identification of the viral pathogen would prevent additional evaluation for or treatment of a bacterial infection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of viral pathogens in a multiplex panel (or individually for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2) is available in many clinical laboratories. These tests are rapid and more sensitive than point-of-care tests and, when available, are preferred for clinical purposes. Cell culture or serologic tests are slower than PCR tests but may be useful for epidemiologic surveillance. 