MAST^® Bacteruritest Strips: Simple Traditional Microbiology

 Specimens obtained by catheter are ideal, but the risk of introducing infection is substantial and midstream specimens are preferable even though they may be contaminated. It has been found that many patients with active urinary tract infections are free from symptoms and that infection could be differentiated from contamination by means of the quantitated culture of urine.  In true infections the bacterial count of midstream specimens examined without delay usually exceeds 100,000 bacteria per ml, whereas the counts of contaminated urines rarely approach this level.

A variety of reliable quantitative methods have been reported but one of the most simple and inexpensive to perform is MAST^® Bacteruritest Strips, one such method that has been described and is still widely used in LMIC’s, smaller clinical and veterinary laboratories.

A strip of absorbent paper of known dimensions is dipped into urine and a measured area of the strip is placed on the surface of a solid culture medium, such as MAST^® C.L.E.D. Medium (DM110) or MAST^® C.L.E.D. with Andrade's Indicator (DM111).  Using strips of standard paper the number of transferred organisms remains constant. Studies have confirmed the reliability of the paper strip method when compared with conventional time consuming quantitative culture methods.  The paper strip method needs no ancillary equipment and involves less time, labour and materials than other methods while maintaining a consistent reliability. MAST^® Bacteruritest Strips have been developed to facilitate the performance of this method.

Description
MAST^® Bacteruritest Strips are 7.5cm long by 0.6cm wide, marked and pre-folded 1.2cm from one end.  They are packed with the pre-folded end down to simplify handling.

Packaging and Ordering Details
200 MAST^® Bacteruritest Strips are supplied in each aluminium screw capped container.  The standard pack is 5 x 200 strips.

Order code: BTR1.