Coagulase test: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:36, 23 August 2020

Used to differentiate Staphylococcus aureus from less pathogenic coagulase-negative staphylococci
Tests for the ability of the organism to convert fibrinogen into fibrin (that is, to form a clot)
Slide coagulase
- Checks for agglutination after a drop of plasma is combined with a suspension of the bacteria on a slide
- Positive if clumping is apparent within 10 seconds or less, and no clumping is observed in saline or water
- A few species of coagulase-negative staphylococci may be positive due to membrane-bound clumping factor
  - Staphylococcus lugdenensis, Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. schleiferi, Staphylococcus sciuri subsp. carnaticus, and Staphylococcus sciuri subsp. rodentium
- Staphylococcus aureus is negative in 15% of tests, especially MRSA, so negative results need to be confirmed with tube coagulase
Tube coagulase
- Mix a heavy inoculum of bacteria into a tube filled with rabbit plasma
- Positive if clot is formed within 4 hours when incubated at 37ºC
- A few species of Coagulase-negative staphylococci may be positive: Staphylococcus intermedius, Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus saccharolyticus, and Staphylococcus schleiferi

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 **Mix a heavy inoculum of bacteria into a tube filled with rabbit plasma
 **Positive if clot is formed within 4 hours when incubated at 37ºC
-**A few species of [[Coagulase-negative staphylococci]] may be positive: [[Staphylococcus intermedius]], [[Staphylococcus saccharolyticus]], and [[Staphylococcus schleiferi]]
+**A few species of [[Coagulase-negative staphylococci]] may be positive: [[Staphylococcus intermedius]], [[Staphylococcus hyicus]], [[Staphylococcus saccharolyticus]], and [[Staphylococcus schleiferi]]
 [[Category:Diagnostics]]