As of Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 testing for influenza will be available only as a cascading panel for inpatients and the emergency department.  This will allow better identification of patients with respiratory viruses that, while not necessarily treatable, can present with clinical syndromes similar to influenza and have epidemiological significance in the inpatient setting.

Please note that, while test collection procedures will not change, there are now four orders in Epic for respiratory viral PCR, the first two of which (below) are new.  Any test below may be ordered on outpatient encounters.

[1] LAB8563 "Respiratory Virus Cascading Panel"
Influenza A, Influenza B, and Influenza H1N1 tests are performed.  If any of these are positive no further results are issued. If all are negative, the remaining viruses (parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3; RSV A and B; metapneumovirus; and adenovirus) are resulted automatically.

[2] LAB8564 “Respiratory Virus Panel Cascading Add on”
This order forces the release of additional results (parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3; RSV A and B; metapneumovirus; and adenovirus) from a cascading panel that terminated with a positive influenza result.  Results are released immediately with no further testing or sample collection necessary.

[3] LAB7366 "Respiratory Virus PCR"
This is orderable on both inpatients and outpatients.  All viruses above are always reported, without cascading.

[4] LAB7455 "Influenza A/B Panel PCR"
This is now orderable only on outpatients.  Covers Influenza A, B and H1N1.

Questions regarding epidemiology or isolation precautions should be sent to the Interim Hospital Epidemiologist, Daniel Diekema, MD: daniel-diekema@uiowa.edu.

Questions concerning orders, testing or this broadcast can be directed to Bradley Ford, MD, PhD; Medical Director of Microbiology: ext. 6-2990, bradley-ford-1@uiowa.edu.