Do Minutes Count in the Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance?

Abbott claims its point-of-care ID NOW testing platform offers the fastest-ever time to influenza A and B test results. Formerly called Alere i, ID Now can provide results in 13 minutes or less, with positive results available in about five minutes. Dr. Norman Moore, Abbott’s director of scientific affairs for infectious diseases, believes such a rapid result could help fight antimicrobial resistance. “Point-of-care testing enables clinicians to make more confident and informed treatment decisions during a single patient visit. Within minutes of administering a flu test, clinicians will know whether someone is infected with the flu virus or whether more tests are needed,” he told MD+DI. “Point-of-care testing is helping take the guesswork out of diagnosis and treatment. With an accurate diagnosis, clinicians know whether a person is suffering with a virus and that antibiotics won’t do any good. The [fewer] unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, the less overall resistance we will be fighting.” An expert on influenza testing, Moore said that “point-of-care testing is essential when it comes to testing for the flu. By having the ability to diagnose the flu through rapid molecular point-of-care testing, providers can diagnose a patient within a clinically actionable timeframe. With a quick and accurate test result, patients diagnosed with the flu can begin...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Business Source Type: news