Rapid detection methods for bacterial identification in urologic office laboratory

A regulatory era is taking shape under the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) which eventually will be implemented under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA '88). Sweeping changes are planned for all laboratories, including physician's office and group practice offices. Both of these groups have previously been exempt from federal controls. Though many urologists have been doing urine cultures and colony counts in their offices for a long time, it is important that precise bacterial identification also be done for good patient care, to control quality and cost, and for more rapid results. Herein, we review many commercial kits now available for precise bacterial identification in the office laboratory. These are largely unknown to most practicing urologists but have been available to microbiologists. They easily can be learned and used in an office or group practice Urologists are competent to perform these tests, especially with a review course or with assistance from their local hospital microbiology laboratory.