The hospital lab I worked in (before being unceremoniously shut down in
12/96), sent out urine antigen detections for Legionella to a local
hospital for testing, but we got results back within 48 hours. Our
Ph.D. did DFA staining for Legionella in our lab. We made him an air
dried slide and he took it from there. I have done DFA's for
gonorrhoeae (once there is growth on the plate) and they are pretty
straight forward. I myself never have read out DFA slides from clinical
material, but I would think with a monoclonal antibody, if they're
there, they glow and it's positive. You would obviously need a
fluorescent microscope. Just because there are 96 available wells
doesn't mean you have to use every well. We use EIA for C. difficile
and break off as many wells as we need that day (anywhere from 3 to
whatever). Ten years ago, I believe I heard the figure bandied about
that if you don't do at least ten tests as week (or was it a month????)
it wasn't worth doing in- house. Obviously in these days of reduced
reimbursements you'd have to figure your costs pretty closely as that
figure could be higher or lower depending upon the test (and what deal a
lab rep will give you on volume).
Judy Dilworth, M.T. (ASCP)
Microbiology
lamb wrote:
>> Does anyone know methods for fast lab-diagnosis? IFA on sputumsmears not
> very reliable.
> Anybody experience with antigen-testing in urine. I read about EIA, but
> in 96-well format, and that's a bit much.
> Loes
>> lamb wrote:
>> > In Holland there has been an outbreak of L. pneumophila infections.
> > Two patients died, at least another 20 in hospital.
> > Cause probably a waterfountain in a flower-exhibition.
