FilmArray™ Respiratory Panel

Thanks to advanced technology, doctors at Loyola Medicine can confirm within an hour whether a patient has one of 20 respiratory illnesses.

Loyola has used this technology for two years and is one of only two hospitals in Illinois to use the FDA-approved FilmArray™ Respiratory Panel, which screens for 17 viral and three bacterial pathogens.

With standard technology, it takes several days for a laboratory to obtain infectious disease test results; and tests are usually for just one possible virus or bacteria at a time.

It can be very expensive and time-consuming to test for several different types of viruses and bacteria. Faster results can improve patient management, limit the spread of disease and reduce overall healthcare costs.

Loyola is a leader in the prevention of influenza and is in its fourth year of a mandatory flu vaccine requirement for all employees.

In addition, Loyola was one of the first hospitals to screen all inpatients for MRSA using similar DNA detection technology. Screening for MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, has enabled Loyola to prevent more than 200 possible cases of hospital-associated MRSA infections.