Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts November 1999
November 1999
Short Cuts:
HEALTH BEAT
Just in time for flu season, the Food and Drug Administration
has approved a test for diagnosing bacterial pneumonia. Called NOW,
the test a simple urinalysis done at a doctor's office yields
results in 15 minutes. By testing for the presence of the bacterium
Streptococcus pneumoniae, doctors can rule out the possibility of a
viral infection. Without the usual two-to-seven-day turnaround time
of traditional tests, antibiotics immediately can be prescribed if
the bacterium is detected.
Dr. Joan
DeCelie-Germana, co-director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Long
Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., treats
patients who are particularly susceptible to pneumonia. She
believes the test will help doctors avoid prescribing unnecessary
antibiotics, which can cause side effects or diminish the drugs'
impact on subsequent infections. Says DeCelie-Germana, "I think the
test sounds like it's worthwhile, accurate and may be helpful in
particular situations," such as an ambiguous diagnosis.
Portland, Maine-based NOW developer Binax Inc. says the test,
which costs between $15 and $20, should be in doctors' offices
now.
MARTHA COOKE
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