Rapid Analytical Methods to Identify Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
by Sutherland, John B.; Rafii, Fatemeh; Lay, Jackson O., Jr.; Williams, Anna J.
The treatment of serious bacterial infections requires prompt administration of an effective antimicrobial agent. In clin. practice, infections are treated first by empirical therapy, which may eliminate the pathogen. However, in many cases, both identification of the bacterium and determination of its antimicrobial susceptibility are required for treatment. Detection of the antimicrobial susceptibility of a pathogen is also required for epidemiol. studies intended to prevent the spread of resistant strains. New rapid methods are being developed to supplement the standard methods used to detect antimicrobial susceptibilities of bacteria. These are especially important for pathogens causing sepsis (septicemia), since delay in the use of an effective antimicrobial agent decreases the chance of survival. The goal is to find rapid methods that can accurately detect the susceptibility of a bacterial strain, both to aid in treatment and to prevent the spread of antimicrobial-resistant strains due to excessive use of inappropriate antimicrobial agents.