What is Legionella antigen urine?

The most commonly used laboratory test for diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease is the urinary antigen test (UAT), which detects a molecule of the Legionella bacterium in urine. If the patient has pneumonia and the test is positive, then you should consider the patient to have Legionnaires’ disease.

What is the disadvantage of the Legionella urinary antigen test?

Disadvantages include the ability to only reliably detect urinary L. penumophila serogroup 1 antigen and the inability to diagnose relapse or reinfection due to persistence of antigen excretion.

How do you collect urine from a Legionella antigen?

Urine sterile technique , puncture the port with a needle attached to a syringe. Aspirate the urine and place it in a sterile container. Do not collect urine from the collection bag. As antigen is detected and identified the information is made available to the health care provider.

How long do Legionella antibodies last?

Specimen Stability Information

How does urinary antigen test work?

By capitalizing on the concentration of shed antigen from a variety of pathogens in the kidneys for excretion in the urine, urinary antigen testing can be used to obtain rapid test results related to respiratory infection, independent of an invasive collection such as a bronchoalveolar lavage.

How long does a Legionella test take?

How long does a laboratory test take? UKAS accredited testing and analysis procedures for Legionella bacteria are typically performed using a standard culture procedure. This culture method usually takes between 10 and 12 days to complete.

Can you be cured from Legionnaires disease?

Legionnaires’ disease requires treatment with antibiotics and most cases of this illness can be treated successfully. Healthy people usually get better after being sick with Legionnaires’ disease, but they often need care in the hospital.

What is a urine antigen test?

The urine antigen test is a rapid, relatively inexpensive, and practical test for the detection of L pneumophila antigen excreted in the urine or present in pleural fluid. The primary disadvantage of urinary antigen testing is that it detects only L pneumophila serogroup 1.

What does positive Legionella test mean?

Legionella is a type of bacteria that can cause a serious form of pneumonia called Legionnaires disease. Legionella testing detects the presence of the bacteria or parts of it (antigens) to help diagnose the cause of a person’s pneumonia.

Does Legionella require isolation?

Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious. No special precautions are necessary. The disease is transmitted via drinking water, not by infected persons. (So it differs from SARS and influenza where masks must be worn).