SupplyManager℠  Help

Our Services & Solutions

In-Office Lab Testing for Respiratory Illnesses
McKesson Medical-Surgical > Our Services and Solutions > Patient Care and Engagement > Respiratory Care > In-Office Lab Testing for Respiratory Illnesses

Our Services & Solutions

In-office lab testing for respiratory illnesses

Find the right methods to diagnose flu, RSV, strep A and SARS-CoV-2

respiratory testing methodsEffective respiratory care starts with point-of-care diagnostic testing

Respiratory season is always a busy time of year. This season may be busier than ever, as you screen patients for COVID-19 in addition to the usual flu, RSV and strep. With so much at stake, you can’t afford to wait hours or days for test results. Point-of-care (POC) lab testing provides the information you need for quick, accurate diagnosis.

Find out which testing platform is right for your practice. Contact one of our lab consultants today.

Contact us

Different tests are available to diagnose respiratory conditions. Each can have a role in patient care:

  • Tests include influenza A & B, strep A, RSV and SARS-CoV-2
  • Detects an active infection
  • Instrument-based test

Benefits of molecular testing:

  • Let patients know if they are infected, so they can be prepared and prevent transmission
  • Understand how best to treat the patient’s illness and reduce transmission
  • Feel confident in your diagnosis with highly accurate test results

Currently in high demand with supply constraints.

  • Tests include influenza A & B, strep A, RSV and SARS-CoV-2
  • Detects an active infection
  • Reader, instrument or rapid cassette-based test

Benefits of this type of testing:

  • Let patients know if they are infected, so they can be prepared and prevent transmission
  • Understand how best to treat the patient’s illness and reduce transmission

Currently in high demand; fewer supply constraints than molecular testing

  • Detects antibodies that show past exposure
  • Instrument or rapid cassette-based test
  • Tests for SARS-CoV-2

Benefits of this type of testing:

  • Identify patients who were previously infected or exposed
  • Identify patients with antibodies
  • May supplement diagnosis

Point-of-care respiratory assays give accurate results more quickly than sending tests to a lab.When you test patients at the point of care, you can:

  • Send patients home with same-day results and treatment plan
  • Prescribe accurate treatment for multiple conditions and avoid unnecessary antibiotics
  • Help reduce hospitalizations with correct diagnoses the first time
  • Distinguish an active respiratory infection from past exposure to COVID-19

“What you really want to know is who has [COVID-19] now and is capable of giving to someone else today.”

—Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of the University of California, San Francisco Department of Medicine3

 

Antigen testing can play an important role for the early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, particularly in situations with limited access to molecular methods.4

At least 50% of antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory conditions are unnecessary.5

Lab testing for respiratory illnesses

Shop all lab products

Respiratory care resources

Browse our respiratory care resource library, including webinars, articles and more.

Go to resources

Questions about which platform is right for your practice? Reach out to a lab consultant.

1: https://www.labcorp.com/content/how-soon-can-i-expect-receive-my-lab-test-results
2: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/testing.htm
3: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/06/06/coronavirus-test-covid-19-tests-increase-plan-lacking/3138440001/
4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7263236/
5: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/stewardship-report/outpatient.html

Scroll To Top Back To Top