• The ZstatFlu® test uses a throat swab specimen to definitively diagnose influenza in 20 minutes.
• A definitive diagnosis leads to the most appropriate treatment, increased patient satisfaction and the potential to prevent life-threatening complications.

• Differential diagnosis of influenza includes any viral or bacterial respiratory illness.
• Influenza is commonly under-diagnosed outside the peak of the flu season and over-diagnosed during the peak of the season.
• Differential diagnosis based solely on clinical judgement can lead to inappropriate treatment.

Historically, physicians have under-diagnosed influenza early and late in the flu season, and over-diagnosed influenza at the peak of the flu season. The influenza syndrome is less specific than most think, and a diagnostic tool is necessary to make a definitive diagnosis.

ZstatFlu® - A New Point-of-care Diagnostic for Influenza

There is a new test, ZstatFlu®, that makes it easy for you to diagnose influenza. This is a throat swab test that takes about 20 minutes to run in the office. With a definitive flu diagnosis, you have the opportunity to treat your patients with a complication-preventing antiviral drug within the first 48 hours of symptoms.

To make your practice more efficient during the flu season, we have outlined a suggested telephone triage protocol that uses the ZstatFlu® test. This telephone triage system is only one aspect of the ZymeTx Influenza Disease Management Program, which combines vaccination, disease surveillance, rapid testing and the use of antiviral medications to allow physicians to proactively manage influenza in their individual practices.

• The differential diagnosis of influenza can include any illness that presents with fever, cough, headache, sore throat, muscle pains, and lethargy. Any respiratory viral or bacterial illness could be included.



• Influenza is not usually considered first in the diagnosis process, but only after all other causes of significant illnesses presenting the above symptoms have been excluded. This exclusion commonly results in under-diagnosis of influenza, over-diagnosis of bacterial illness, and prescription of inappropriate or unnecessary antibiotics.



• In the very young, the differential diagnosis of influenza has to include serious illnesses such as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis; and moderate illnesses such as strep throat, sinusitis, otitis, tracheobronchitis, and croup.



• Differential diagnosis in older children and adults includes the entire respiratory tree of otitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis-strep throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Serious infections like streptococcal sepsis or meningitis must be considered.



• At the peak of the flu season, influenza is commonly over-diagnosed, excluding identification of other serious conditions like strep sepsis.



• Differential diagnosis of influenza, solely from clinical judgement and without the use of a definitive test like ZstatFlu®, provides a platform for misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.