Non-culture methods for detecting infection

Culture-independent diagnostic techniques are increasingly used in clinical laboratories. They have improved turnaround times and are generally more sensitive than culture. Their relative ease of use may increase the numbers of patients being tested. These tests allow detection of organisms that are currently difficult or impossible to culture. The main non-culture methods are immunoassays, which detect antibody or microbial antigen, and nucleic acid amplification testing, which detects microbial RNA or DNA. For some infections, culture may need to be combined with these tests to determine antibiotic susceptibility.