Doctors able to exercise discretion after misdiagnosis of rapid flu test

Treatment options should be based on not only diagnosis of the rapid test, but also that of the physician, said officials with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Steve Kuo, head of the CDC, said in order to prevent other such misdiagnosis, so long as patients come down with classic A(H1N1) symptoms like respiratory infections or the sudden flare-up of illness, doctors could exercise their discretion despite negative test results.

The new policy is awaiting confirmation from the Bureau of National Health Insurance, however, the CDC added.

Meanwhile, two additional acute A(H1N1) cases were confirmed yesterday with a 14-year-old boy and a 33-year-old male with histories of coronary heart disease and diabetes, health officials said.

This places the current tally of severe infections at 40, said officials.

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