Stock up on QC Organisms!
Stock organisms can only serve you well if kept fresh. CLSI recommends that QC organisms be replenished from a fresh pellet at least every year; and every month for susceptibility testing. Look to Hardy to help you with all your stock culture needs. Hardy is an authorized distributor of the MBL organisms, which is a member of the ATCC "Licensed Derivative" program. MBL offers a complete line of lyophilized pellets, Kwik-Stiks (on a swab), and quantitative preparations as well.
From now until the end of the year, Hardy is offering a FREE "Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy" (spiral bound, large print, #G07L) with orders of four or more organisms. Click here for a complete MBL catalog. Call (800) 266-2222 to order.
Free Sanford Guide with your MBL order. See above.
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VRE...Is it Friend or Foe?When you isolate a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE), how do you know if it is a potential pathogen or a non-pathogen? Among the species of Enterococcus that can be resistant to Vancomycin, two are considered to be non-pathogenic, i.e. E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus. Only E. faecium and E. faecalis are considered to be clinically significant. In fact, some studies show that the majority of isolated VRE's will be E. gallinarum. In order to quickly rule out the non-pathogens, Hardy's Rapid MGP offers a fast and easy way to be sure, thus preventing needless therapy. Studies have shown MGP to be more accurate than motility testing and is much easier to perform. Results can be read out in less than 5 hours. A recent study showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. Click here for complete technical data.
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Wendy Phillips - Hardy's QC Manager
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| Micro~Bytes
November, 2007 |
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Greetings!
In this issue we are featuring stock organisms for your QC program.To help you stock up with fresh bugs for 2008, we are offering a free book with every order for four or more organisms.
If you have any questions about stock organisms or if there is any other way we can be of assistance, we would appreciate hearing from you! Just click here.
Jay Hardy, CLS, SM (ASCP)
Hardy Diagnostics Headquarters |
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To tighten or not to tighten?
That is the question that our tech support staff gets asked on numerous occasions. Remember that many organisms require an exchange of air. Also, many biochemical reactions and color changes are dependant on the presence of oxygen. However other organisms, prefer an anaerobic or capnophilic atmosphere. Here is a list to help you decide when to tighten and when to leave the caps loose during incubation.
TIGHT:
Thioglycollate
Chopped Meat
Transgrow
Strep B Carrot Broth
Campy Broth
LOOSE:
Mycology Media
TB Media (in CO2 incubator)
Yeast Media
Biochemicals (LIA, TSI, etc)
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MRSA
Instant ID Made Easy! 
Identify your MRSA's from culture in about 15 minutes, using the MRSA Latex Kit, by Denka Seiken. After performing a heat extraction, this kit will detect the Penicillin Binding Protein 2' (PBP2') that is responsible for resistance to Methicillin/Oxacillin.
Simple latex agglutination will allow you to rapidly confirm Methicillin Resistant Staph aureus with a high degree of accuracy. Studies show the latex kit to be 100% sensitive, 99% specific. Click here for a brochure. Click here for a technical insert. |
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"Dost thou love Life? Then do not sqaunder Time... for that is the very stuff that Life is made of."
- Benjamin Franklin | |
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