New battlefield inspired high speed test prevents spread of superbug by providing results in hours not days
Hospital microbiology laboratories seeking to play a more active role in infection control for MRSA can now get support from known and trusted distributors in the UK and Eire, says Acolyte Biomedica.
The company, which manufactures the battlefield-inspired BacLite Rapid MRSA test, has appointed three distributors across the UK and Ireland.
In Ireland companies within the Brennan group will sell and support the product.
Both Isis in the republic and SMC in Northern Ireland have a strong offering of infection control products.
On the UK mainland Bio-Stat, a company with a long track record in microbiology, adds the test to its range of products for microbiology laboratories.
BacLite originated from UK Ministry of Defence work carried out at Porton Down on rapid detection of potential biological warfare pathogens.
This work now looks certain to deliver a major human health dividend.
The final evaluation of the BacLite system at three UK laboratories in spring this year, including those at Barts and the London and Salisbury District NHS Trusts, showed the test can achieve in five hours what current microbiological methods take two days to deliver.
In this multi-centre trial of 1377 nasal swabs the sensitivity of the test was 93.4% and specificity was 95.7%.
The study illustrates the confidence that medical staff could have when using BacLite Rapid MRSA test information for admitting patients, says the company; the probability that a negative result was correct (negative predictive value) was over 99%.
In the UK the first tests have already been delivered to Salisbury District Hospital.
"We are delighted to have the Brennan group and Bio-Stat on board as our distributors.
"With their long experience in the field they can share our belief that by giving same-day results, the BacLite Rapid MRSA test will allow hospitals to screen patients for the presence of the superbug.
"This information will enable infection control teams to act quickly to prevent a hospital acquired infection," says Bill Mullen, CEO of Acolyte Biomedica.
