Summer flu cases soar but a rapid new test could help combat the spread

In the Grampians health region there have already been 146 confirmed cases of influenza this year, compared to 38 for the same time last year - almost four times more - adding stress to already-stretched health services.

And across Victoria there have been 5095 cases of the flu compared to 1672 to the same point last year, raising fears of a severe winter flu season.

But a new rapid flu test, which has been trialled in NSW hospital emergency departments, has been shown to quickly detect the most common strains of influenza within hours, could save lives and help stop its spread.

​The rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can give doctors a diagnosis on suspected influenza cases up to 24 hours faster than current tests.

Analysis of patients tested with the rapid PCR showed the fast diagnosis had resulted in a decrease in hospital admissions, faster test turnarounds and quicker feedback to patients.

Significantly fewer blood culture, blood gas, sputum culture, and respiratory bacterial and viral serology tests were also ordered for patients tested by rapid PCR, leading to reduced hospital costs if the test was to be implemented more widely.

Doctors take swabs from patients for both versions of the test, but the rapid PCR test concentrates on the most common influenza A and influenza B strains, and respiratory syncytial virus which is common in young children.

Australia Medical Association's Victorian president Julian Rait cautioned that while the study showed promising results - including a reduced number of hospital admissions and fewer microbiology tests - more research was needed.

"Further studies are required to confirm cost-effectiveness and whether it is worthwhile deploying this across all Australian emergency departments," he said.

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Writing in the Medical Journal of Australia, study leader Dr Nasir Wabe, research fellow at the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, said there was no significant difference in hospital length of stay between those who had the conventional test and those who had the rapid flu test and there were potential savings to the health system but further cost benefit analysis was needed.

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