Abstract
Strain typing is an integral part of epidemiological investigations of nosocomial infections. Methods for distinguishing among bacterial strains have improved dramatically over the last 5 years, due mainly to the introduction of molecular technology. Although not all molecular techniques are equally effective for typing all organisms, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is the technique currently favored for most nosocomial pathogens. Criteria to aid epidemiologists in interpreting results have been published. Nucleic acid amplification-based typing methods also are applicable to many organisms and can be completed within a single day, but interpretive criteria still are under debate. Strain typing cannot be used to replace a sound epidemiological investigation, but serves as a useful adjunct to such investigations.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 426-439 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1997 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Epidemiology
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases