Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of influenza A and B antigens in nasopharynx samples with a rapid influenza diagnosis test in patients diagnosed with acute respiratory infection. Methods: between November 2018 and April 2019 our hospital was chosen as a working group of patients who apply to the Clinic of Ear Nose and Infectious Diseases with complaints such as fever, throat pain, cough, myalgia, nasal fluid. In this uncontrolled study, patients with symptoms of upper respiratory infection such as fever, throat pain, cough and myalgia were evaluated. The patient's mouth was swallowed with water 3 times after the rapid influenza diagnosis test in nasopharyngeal sputum samples was performed through the kit used in our hospital through the Ministry of Health (Humasis Influenza A/B Antigen Test; Humasis, Anyang, Korea). In clinical conditions, according to the test procedure, influenza A and B antigens were examined in the patient's scratch materials. A total of 104 patients were taken to the study. 68 of these patients (65.4 percent) were women, 36 (34.6 percent) were men and aged between 18 and 75 years (medium 36.13 percent). Of the 104 patients in the study group, 16 (15.4 percent) of the flu diagnosis test was positive. All positive samples were diagnosed with influenza A. A throat pain (87.5%) was a common clinical symptom. Patients were complaints of nasal fluidity (80.76%), myalgia (61,53) and cough (60,57) respectively. In patients with influenza A positive, the presence of cough and myalgia was statistically significantly higher compared to patients with influenza negative. (p = 0,003 and p < 0,001 ) The presence of cough and myalgia can help distinguish the influenza from the causes of other respiratory infections. In our hospital, the rate of influenza detection was low with rapid diagnosis tests. However, we believe that this test may be useful because of its fast and easy use, especially in the influenza season, in patients in the risk group.

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