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My question is why test for the flu? Does it change anything if the disease has progressed somewhat and the magic time for Tamilflu is pretty much over?
I am getting over it with the help of a thermometer to track of temperature and an oximeter to track oxygen utilization. I knew if my temp spiked over 102 and/or if my oxygen use was 85% or less to get to a hospital/urgent care. Never got quite that bad and I am on the upswing. Temp is now normal and oxygen is up to 96%. But it was a very hard week.
Glad you are feeling better.
As the flu season starts and progresses testing for flu can help doctors know whether the patients in their practice are coming in with flu. They may not test everyone, especially once they have confirmed that a significant percentage of people with flu symptoms are testing positive.
Adults usually do not have vomiting and diarrhea with flu, and the fever may not be high. The color of nasal secretions has no diagnostic value. A yellow or green tint just reflects the presence of white blood cells.
The op asked this question about her daughter who is presumably child so asking about vomiting and diarrhea may be relevant in this particular situation.
The op asked this question about her daughter who is presumably child so asking about vomiting and diarrhea may be relevant in this particular situation.
My comment was directed to another poster, not the OP.
It also helps them determine the effectiveness of the flu shot, which I assume would help them make decisions for future years strains.
For example, a year or two ago, my husband was really sick and we took him to a minor emergency center. They ran the test and said based on his symptoms, he clearly had a stomach bug of some kind, but it was NOT a flu strain. That means that whether or not he had a flu shot wouldn't have made any difference. The doctor said that the flu shot had been very effective that year, and almost no one was testing positive for actual influenza. Just generic stomach bugs of various types.
So remember that not all stomach bugs are flu. I have no idea whether Tamiflu is effective against other types of stomach bugs.
It also helps them determine the effectiveness of the flu shot, which I assume would help them make decisions for future years strains.
For example, a year or two ago, my husband was really sick and we took him to a minor emergency center. They ran the test and said based on his symptoms, he clearly had a stomach bug of some kind, but it was NOT a flu strain. That means that whether or not he had a flu shot wouldn't have made any difference. The doctor said that the flu shot had been very effective that year, and almost no one was testing positive for actual influenza. Just generic stomach bugs of various types.
So remember that not all stomach bugs are flu. I have no idea whether Tamiflu is effective against other types of stomach bugs.
Flu is not a "stomach bug". It's a respiratory infection.
"Intestinal flu" is a lay term for gastroenteritis, which is a "stomach bug" and has nothing to do with influenza, so, no, the flu vaccine would not prevent it and Tamiflu will not treat it.
It also helps them determine the effectiveness of the flu shot, which I assume would help them make decisions for future years strains.
For example, a year or two ago, my husband was really sick and we took him to a minor emergency center. They ran the test and said based on his symptoms, he clearly had a stomach bug of some kind, but it was NOT a flu strain. That means that whether or not he had a flu shot wouldn't have made any difference. The doctor said that the flu shot had been very effective that year, and almost no one was testing positive for actual influenza. Just generic stomach bugs of various types.
So remember that not all stomach bugs are flu. I have no idea whether Tamiflu is effective against other types of stomach bugs.
Stomach bugs are not the flu. Kids can sometimes have nausea vomiting and diarrhea (aka signs of a stomach bug) with the flu but not always and those symptoms would be very rare in an adult. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, sore throat, headache, etc.
Last edited by MissTerri; 01-22-2018 at 11:59 AM..
Flu is not a "stomach bug". It's a respiratory infection.
"Intestinal flu" is a lay term for gastroenteritis, which is a "stomach bug" and has nothing to do with influenza, so, no, the flu vaccine would not prevent it and Tamiflu will not treat it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissTerri
Stomach bugs are not the flu. Kids can sometimes have nausea vomiting and diarrhea (aka signs of a stomach bug) with the flu but not always and those symptoms would be very rare in an adult. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, sore throat, headache, etc.
Interesting. I learned something new. I don't think I've ever actually had influenza then. Because when I get the fever, chills, aches, etc, I always get a stomach thing with it. Had whatever it was between Christmas and New Year this year, and had every symptom you listed, including the stomach stuff, plus a stuffy head and runny nose. Just treated the symptoms and got over it in about 4 days.
My question is why test for the flu? Does it change anything if the disease has progressed somewhat and the magic time for Tamilflu is pretty much over?
I am getting over it with the help of a thermometer to track of temperature and an oximeter to track oxygen utilization. I knew if my temp spiked over 102 and/or if my oxygen use was 85% or less to get to a hospital/urgent care. Never got quite that bad and I am on the upswing. Temp is now normal and oxygen is up to 96%. But it was a very hard week.
First, I'm glad you're getting better.
Secondly, testing for flu does aid in diagnosis at times. The link suzy posted is very good; I would suggest everyone take a look at it.
Finally, regarding monitoring your temp and pulse ox. Temperature does not in and of itself indicate how sick you are. Pulse ox does indicate how oxygenated your blood is, but if you're having difficulty breathing or other severe symptoms, you should get thee to a health care provider no matter what the pulse ox reading. You should also be aware that machines made for home use are not as accurate as those in health care facilities.
False positive and false negative rates depend on how prevalent the disease is. If there is a lot of flu circulating then the test is more likely to be a true positive.
The CDC does not say that testing is not necessary at all.
"When Is Use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests Beneficial?
Testing during an outbreak of acute respiratory disease can determine if influenza is the cause and to guide prompt implementation of prevention and control measures.
During influenza season, testing of selected patients presenting with acute respiratory illnesses compatible with influenza can help establish whether influenza is present in a specific patient population and help health-care providers determine how to use their clinical judgment for diagnosing and treating respiratory illness. (Testing need not be done for all patients.)"
ELISA tests look for antibodies, not viral antigens. The more specific test for the virus would be reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Yes, it would be more expensive and take more time to get results.
No. The test is not accurate.
A test should be that a test that works, that is accurate and can demonstrate for an individual whether they are sick or not, doesn't matter what everyone else's diagnosis is. It's like saying i go in the ED for arm pain, and they had 4 broken arms that day. So obviously my arm pain must mean it's broken. Uh NO.
"Depending" on whether everyone else is sick does me no good. It's a GUESS. By this logic, well if 10 patients are sick, well, then I guess they all are sick. Why bother with the test at all. Every patient that comes in today is sick!!
It is not accurate. No way around it. Post 5,000 word essay on it, doesn't matter. A test is either accurate ... or not.
And if you pick another CDC page, it says very clearly that diagnosis is based on symptoms. Even the CDC has no clue about who has or does not have the flu since they aren't telling the docs to use the test for every patient. Because the test itself is NOT ACCURATE.
Listen, if she has a fever, chills, AND if she hurts all over, it's the flu. She could also be vomiting or sneezing or whatever, but all other symptoms are optional -- it's not flu if she doesn't have the first 3 symptoms I listed. Taking her to a clinic full of sick people, half of whom probably do have the flu, will only expose her to worse and more of it. You can always dial Ask-A-Nurse or email here to get more answers:
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