Staphylococcal species identification

The Remel RapID Staph Plus can be used for the biochemical identification of Staphylococcus species and related organisms isolated from human clinical specimens. This rapid and convenient manual identification system offers clinical laboratories of any size a valuable diagnostic tool for an important group of opportunistic pathogens, with results in only 4 hours.

The RapID Staph Plus panel incorporates a series of 18 biochemical tests directed towards this group of organisms. The one-step, inoculation method allows all of the test wells to be inoculated simultaneously, saving time and simplifying the procedure. The panel is then incubated aerobically for just 4 hours.

The clearly visible colour reactions are easy to read and are used to identify the test organism. Each of the tests in the panel is interpreted using the RapID Staph Plus Colour Guide which aids in the generation of a numerical microcode. The microcode is entered into the Windows-based ERIC (Electronic RapID Compendum) software for organism identification. The user-friendly package contains a comprehensive database of 40 medically important Staphylococcus species and related organisms, and ranks identifications by probability (greater than 95% probability is required for species level identification), ensuring good accuracy and reliability.

RapID Staph Plus can be used to identify Staphylococcus aureus and over 30 species of coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) in addition to other related organisms. CNS are an increasingly important cause of hospital-acquired infections.

The RapID range includes products for the identification of oxidase negative Enterobacteriaceae, anaerobic bacteria, Gram-negative glucose non-fermenters, Corynebacterium species, Neisseria and Haemophilus common in urinary infections, yeasts and related organisms and Streptococci and related organisms. The RapID method is favoured for providing rapid, same-day results (compared to alternative methods that require 18-72 hours) and for being non-automated, allowing even smaller routine microbiology laboratories to adopt this method easily.