Sorry about the duplicate posts. We had to get a new computer and I just set
up newsgroups with the ISP. I didn't think the messages had gone out so I
kept trying.
I think the days of the "real" microbiologists will be gone in another
generation. Our laboratory has rapidly, and quite rightly so, embraced new
molecular technology for a number of tests. We are adding on more and will
soon be testing for Campylobacter in stools via PCR and not on culture
plates any more. We had added the new PNA FISH testing to our "rapid"
testing to determine if septic patients with gram positive cocci in clusters
in positive blood cultures have Staph. aureus or not within a couple of
hours after discovering the positive. Differentiating this from coagulase
negative Staph. (which is most usually a contaminant) can save hospitals and
patients about three days in the hospital. The list goes on.
I learned my reactions on tubed media. Most of our newer techs have seen a
few tubed reactions, and memorize ImVic's for the registry, but the reality
is that Vitek2 is doing the bulk of our identifications for gram negatives
(and other bugs) in a few hours in 64 well cards that are read
automatically. Microbes are characterized now not by their biochemicals but
their genetics.
Yes, Larry, we are becoming has-beens.
N10 - thanks so much for the compliment. They were talking about getting
rid of Vi and just using Poly+Vi to screen, but I "mentioned" that without
Vi by itself you wouldn't know if the Poly+Vi agglutination was due to Poly
or Vi. The Vi is staying.
Judy Dilworth, M.T. (ASCP)
Microbiology
"Larry Farrell" <farrlarr from isu.edu> wrote in message
news:xitKl.4155$0S.1002 from newsfe22.iad...
>> Ah, we are all going to Hell in a handbasket!!
