Table 1.
Summary of near-patient tests
| Test name and manufacturer | Format | Time to completion (min) | Readout | Number of studies | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) | Comment and references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directigen Flu A; Becton Dickinson (www.bd.com) | Membrane adsorption EIA: detection of influenza NP | 15 | Colour change in small cassette | 11 | 62–100 (median 89·7) | 84–100 (median 97·2) | Detects influenza A only32, 33, 34, 35 |
| Directigen A/B; Becton Dickinson | Membrane adsorption EIA: detection of influenza NP | 15 | Colour change in small cassette | 2 | Median 90 influenza A, 71 influenza B | Median 99·8 influenza A, 98·5 influenza B | Detects A and B and distinguishes between them36, 37 |
| Biostar; Biota (wwwBiostar.com) | Optical immunoassay; detection of influenza NP | 15 | Change in refractive index on silicon chip embedded in small cassette | 8 | 37–93 (median 52·7) | 73·1–95·7 (median 86) | Detects A and B; does not distinguish between them38 |
| Z Stat; Zyme Tx Inc (www.zymetx.com) | Membrane adsorption EIA; detection of influenza neuraminidase | 30 | Colour change in small cassette | 6 | 65–96 (median 71) | 63–92 (median 83) | Detects A and B; does not distinguish between them38, 39 |
| QuickVue; Quidel (www.quidel.com) | Membrane capillary flow; detection of influenza NP | 10 | Dipstick; colour change | 3 | 74–95 (median 79·2) | 76–98 (median 82·6) | Detects A and B; does not distinguish between them38, 40, 41 |
NP=nucleoprotein.