The rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT), as it is commonly called, has been in existence for over 20 years and was standardized by ASTM over 15 years ago. The test is used extensively in the concrete industry for assessing concrete quality and is now being included in concrete specification documents. Because the underlying physics of the test are fairly well understood, it is possible to c...

Previous reports have described a distinctive pattern of phosphorus excretion (after rapid calcium infusion) in sarcoidosis. The author performed similar studies on eight patients with sarcoidosis and five patients with other pathologic processes. A "sarcoid pattern* was noted in only one patient with sarcoidosis and in two patients with tuberculosis. It can be stated that the rapid calcium inf...

A rapid culture test has been developed and evaluated for the detection of adenovirus in ocular infections. The test requires only two days' incubation of the inoculated cell monolayers on coverslips in flat bottomed tubes followed by detection of adenovirus inclusions using immunofluorescence staining method. The sensitivity of the rapid test is found to be comparable with that of the conventi...

n engl j med 368;11 nejm.org march 14, 2013 1069 thereby reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation. Many, but not all, of these strategies were mentioned in our article. We also agree with the suggestion to avoid benzodiazepines, as has been recommended in the recent Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Pain, Agitation, and Delirium in Adult Patients in the Intensive Care Unit...

Rapid diagnostic tests are used for the determination of binary qualitative results not only uniquely in nonhospital-based but also in hospital-based tests. Principally, in developing countries, rapid diagnostic tests are the primary option since tests to be used in medical laboratories are discarded due to the higher cost. The test’s performance is evaluated to assure that the chance of result...

An esculin hydrolysis test is described which distinguishes over 97% of bacteria that can convert esculin to esculetin in a buffered solution, from those that cannot, within an hour.

A rapid 7-h fecal coliform (FC) test for the detection of FC in water has been developed. This membrane filter test utilizes a lightly buffered lactose-based medium (m-7-h FC medium) combined with a sensitive pH indicator system. FC colonies appeared yellow against a light purple background after incubation at 41.5 degrees C for 7 to 7.25 h. Comparison of FC test results showed that the mean ve...

AIMS To develop a rapid latex agglutination screening test for invasive amoebiasis. METHODS The performance of an in-house latex agglutination test was compared with three standard serological techniques--the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), the indirect haemagglutination test (IHA), and the cellulose acetate precipitin (CAP) test. Forty six sera were screened; 12 from negative control...

AIMS A set of five tests were developed and tested for their ability to confirm the identity of C difficile colonies within 30 minutes. METHODS The relevant substrates were incorporated into four filter paper squares attached to a plastic carrier (Diffstrip), five enzymes/products (prolyl aminopeptidase, galactosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, acid phosphatase and indole). The strips were inoc...

The latex agglutination card test (Rubascan) for the detection of rubella antibody was compared with the standard hemagglutination inhibition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests. There was complete agreement with sera which had hemagglutination inhibition titers of >/=16. Sera with low levels of antibody which were positive in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, however, gave negativ...