Simple micro question

[Unregistered1]

Hi,

I know this may seem like an easy question but the 'correct answer' that kaplan gave doesn't seem correct to me. Maybe there was a typo in the book. Please verify.

A 4 year old boy develops several honey crusted lesions behind his ears and on his face, The simplest test for the physician to determine the genus of bacteria responsible for this child's illness is the:

a.) Catalase test
b.) Coagulase test
c.) hemolysis pattern on blood agar
d.) growth of the organism in 6.5% sodium chloride
e.) polymerase chain reaction

[Anasouma]

i think the response is e

[cleverpseudonym]

What hospital do you think would make PCR available for impetigo?????
Impetigo is caused by staph and strep so to diff them do a Catalase test. if it's staph then do caog and if it's strep do haemolysis.

[Dr. X]

theres another thread for this same q. what one considers a simple q. may not be of the same caliber to another.

http://www.valuemd.com/microbiology-immunology/135062-simple-micro-question.html

[student-2]

Catalase- look at the algorythm in FA
Catalase differs b/w staph and strep and coagulase b/w spp. of staph.
theoretically pcr would be good but irrelevant clinically

[drnims007]

i think ans should be A...coz theory is imp for understanding......but in real world v hv to go as per facilities available...whether PCR is more sensitive as per theory but thats costly n not availabe every where.....as this child's age n symptom shows impetigo......catalase test shulb done to differenciate stap or strept......

[angjr]

The simplest test for the MD, that's what the question is asking. Catalase is the answer. You know that if it is negative, you don't have to deal with a MRSA.