OBJECTIVE To summarize evidence for the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin (PCT) tests for identifying secondary bacterial infections in patients with influenza. METHODS Major databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, were searched for studies published between January 1966 and May 2009 that evaluated PCT as a marker for diagnosing bacterial infections in patients with...

Levels of C-reactive protein and lactate were determined on 562 consecutive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from adult patients with a wide variety of central nervous system diseases to compare the sensitivity and specificity of CSF lactate and C-reactive protein for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Neither test alone, together, or in combination with elevated CSF leukocyte count ...

background and objective:  early diagnosis of streptococcus agalactiae remains difficult, since symptoms are very nonspecific. its frequency has not been completely investigated in urinary tract pathogen of pregnant ant and non pregnant women in iran. the aim of this study was determining the frequency of group b streptococci in female patients. materials and methods: a total of 11800 urine sp...

OBJECTIVE To assess the diagnostic accuracy of semen and urine culture in the diagnosis of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). MATERIALS AND METHODS In 70 consecutive men suspected of having chronic bacterial prostatitis along with 17 asymptomatic controls, we obtained urine and semen cultures followed 1 week later by the Meares and Stamey test, our reference standard. The interpretation of ...

A total of 329 selective enrichment broth cultures were tested for detection of Clostridium difficile by latex particle agglutination (LPA), gas-liquid chromatography, and bacterial culture. Of 53 broths positive by LPA, 36 were positive by gas-liquid chromatography, and 42 were positive by bacterial culture. The sensitivity and specificity of LPA relative to bacterial culture was 95.6% and 96....

Clostridium difficile causes approximately 25% of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrheas and most cases of pseudomembranous colitis. We evaluated C. DIFF CHEK, a new screening test that detects glutamate dehydrogenase of C. difficile. Our results showed that this test was comparable to PCR in sensitivity and specificity and outperformed bacterial culture.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to develop a test for the rapid (within 25 minutes) intraoperative detection of bacteria from synovial fluid to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). METHODS The 16s rDNA test combines a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplification of 16s rDNA with a lateral flow immunoassay in one fully automated system. The synovial fluid of 77 patien...

background and aims. although wearing a white coat is an accepted part of medical and dental practice, it is a potential source of cross-infection. the objective of this study was to determine the level and type of microbial contamination present on the white coats of dental interns, graduate students and faculty in a dental clinic. materials and methods. questionnaire and cross-sectional surve...