Replacement of Culture with Molecular Testing for Diagnosis Infectious Diseases

Despite significant advances in molecular testing platforms, in  vitro cultivation of microbial pathogens on artificial media remains a hallmark of infectious disease diagnostics. Culture-based approaches allow for the recovery, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of a specific pathogen. However, there are many limitations to the use of cul ture. The growth of an organism can take days to weeks; definitive testing for identification can be performed only on pure culture or isolated colony, which may introduce additional delays; some organisms cannot be cultivated in vitro (eg, some viruses, parasites) or have specialized growth requir ements that cannot be met by most routine clinical microbiology laboratories (eg, Mycoplasma species).
Source: Clinics in Laboratory Medicine - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Source Type: research