10 minute MRSA test to be trialled

Link: The Sunday Herald .

A NEW system which enables patients to be screened for MRSA in just 10 minutes is set to undergo trials in the NHS. The technology, developed in conjunction with experts at Strathclyde University, uses naturally occuring viruses that prey on bacteria as a sensor to detect for the superbug. Swabs taken from patients are read on a machine - similar to those used in bank ATMs - which nurses on wards can directly access, instead of having to send tests to a laboratory. The firm behind the system claims it will allow staff to identify quickly the estimated 80% of people who are not carrying MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) and allow them to concentrate infection control measures on high-risk patients. advertisement Although scientists are still working on the final stages of the development of the system, it is anticipated that clinical trials will begin later this year in up to four NHS hospitals across the UK, including one in Scotland.

MRSA