Rapid Staph Test Gets OK

//January 7, 2008//

Rapid Staph Test Gets OK

//January 7, 2008//

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Around the State: North JerseyFRANKLIN LAKES

Medical technology company Becton Dickson & Co. (BD) says it received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a two-hour test to identify strains of staph infections.

The company’s San Diego-based unit BD Diagnostics developed the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay, a test to identify staphylococcus aureus and the methicillin-resistant strain of the bacteria from positive blood cultures.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of potentially lethal staph infections, with the antibiotic-resistant strain more difficult to treat.

BD’s test provides results within two hours from positive blood cultures. Previous tests to identify strains of the infection may take up to two days to see results.