Identification of a patient withStreptococcus pneumoniaebacteremia and meningitis by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)☆

https://doi.org/10.1006/mcpr.1995.0026Get rights and content

Abstract

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on the penicillin-binding protein gene PBP2B identified the presence of DNA specific forStreptococcus pneumoniaein the serum and CSF of a patient with culture-proven bacteremia and meningitis. Positive signals were seen to dilutions of 1:125 and 1:390,625 for the blood and CSF specimens, respectively. Potential advantages of PCR over conventional culture include exquisite sensitivity, faster results and the ability to identify the organisms by the presence of species-specific DNA even in patients pretreated with antibiotics.

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☆

This work was presented, in part, at the Society for Pediatric Research Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, May, 1994 and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., May, 1994.

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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: General Academic Pediatrics/Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2500 Main Tower, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583, USA.

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