Is that painful pimple a dangerous staph infection?
Soon there will be a quicker way to find out. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved a new blood test for methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that cuts the diagnosis time from three days to two hours. MRSA is a risky form of staph showing up more often outside the hospital. Experts say the test—BD GeneOhm StaphSR—could prove remarkably useful in determining which (or whether) antibiotics are necessary. The correct antibiotic can make a life-or-death difference. The test, covered by insurance in most situations, should be available at major hospitals in the coming months.
