New rapid microbiological diagnostic techniques.
OBJECTIVE
To briefly and critically review the role of new, rapid techniques, especially PCR, in the diagnosis of infectious diseases.


METHODS
Review of the literature.


RESULTS
New diagnostic techniques show great promise but many techniques are still in their infancy and the relative roles of the various methods remain uncertain.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems likely that different techniques will continue to be useful in a number of different contexts. No one technique is likely to become 'diagnostically dominant' in the foreseeable future.
Burgner
D
D
Department of Microbiology, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Westmead, Australia.
Isaacs
D
D
Givney
R
R
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods