Klebsiella
...ed to identify bacteria in a sample without culturing the bacteria. The simplest method detects the presence of bacteria by detecting the difference in electrical conductivity between cell and surrounding medium. DNA fingerprinting is used to determine the source of hospital-acquired infections. The restriction enzymes enable researchers to compare the base sequences of different organisms. The number and sizes of restriction enzymes provide information about their genetic similarities and differences. Ribosomal RNA sequencing determines the diversity of organisms and their phylogenetic relationships. All cell contain ribosomes. Related organisms will have fewer different bases in their rRNA than organisms that are distantly related. The RNA genes have undergone few changes over time. The phage-typing test determines which types of phages a bacterium is susceptible to. The phages are able to infect and lyse the bacterial cells. This aids in the prediction of the source of infection. I have obtained a great deal of knowledge with working with an unknown culture. I was not aware of all the different type of tests that aid in identifying bacteria. Since I plan to enter the medical field once I graduate. This experience will be very beneficial to me in the future by having the experience to work and perform the test. Working in the hospital is a very interesting job, the constant care and treatment of patients is my daily routine. I enjoy working with patients of all different age groups. One patient that had a great impact on me was Mrs. Jennifer House. Mrs. House was brought into the hospital a 56-year-old female a prior intravenous heroin user, history of hypertension, renal failure and obstructive respiratory disease. She also has a history of diabetes. Her symptoms consisted of a high fever, chills, and flu like symptoms. Jennifer’s immune system was compromised due to the fact she is a recovering heroin addict. Two days after receiving a catheterization Jennifer complained of a burning sensation during and after urination. She experienced a clean catch urine sample. Inserting a catheter into the urethra performed this test. I suspected Jennifer had contracted a urinary tract infection. My job was to find out what was causing her illness. The first test I performed was the gram stain. The gram stain test is done to identify if the cell wall is gram-positive or gram-negative. The next test I performed was the starch hydrolysis test and the OF-glucose test. The starch hydrolysis test will show if the microbe can degrade starch by leaving a clear zone around the bacteria. In the OF-glucose test is determines if your microbe metabolized glucose through oxidation or fermentation or neither by using an open tube and a closed tube. Having an indicator color of yellow in an open tube this is due to the oxygen, which produces acid. Fermentation has occurred if the indicator turns yellow in both tubes. The next series of test performed was the fermentation test and the MRVP test, which stands for Methyl Red, and Vogues-Proskauer test. In the fermentation test, this test is performed to determine if your organism has acid or gas present based upon the fermentation of dextrose, lactose, and sucrose. The methyl red test is used to maintain stable end products of glucose fermentation. A positive methyl red test is indicated by the presence of a red color and a negative test is indicated by a yellow color. Vogues-Proskauer test is used to detect the presence of acetoin. A positive V-P test is indicated by a pink color and a negative test is indicated by no color change. If you have a positive methyl red test then your V-P test should be negative and vice versa. The next six tests that were performed were the gelatin hydrolysis, urea agar, litmus milk, phenylalanine deaminase, hydrogen sulfide, and the MIO test. In the gelatin hydrolysis this test is used to see if your organism can hydrolyze gelatin. A negative test is indicated by solid gelatin. A positive test for gelatin will become liquefied. The urea agar test detects for the enzyme urease, which produces ammonia. The positive test result in changing the pH of the medium that turns the indicator a fuchsia color. The litmus milk test detects five different elements. The elements that you are testing for are peptonization, the protein casein has been hydrolyzed and the medium will turn clear since there are soluble amino acids and peptides that have been broken. If acid is present, the medium will turn light pink because lactose fermentation has occurred. If alkaline is present, the medium will turn purple because of amino acid catabolism. The overproduction of acid causes coagulation. Some other organisms can reduce litmus, and the bottom of the tube will turn white. The next test was phenylalanine deaminase test. This test consists of the removal of an amino group. This test detects the deamination of phenylalanine using a ferric ion complex. A positive test will result in a green color. In the hydrogen sulfide test, peptone iron is used to determine if hydrogen sulfide is produced. When hydrogen sulfide gas is produced the sulfide reacts with the metal salt and produces a black precipitate. If the agar turns black the bacteria is positive for hydrogen sulfide production. The next test is the MIO test that determines motility, indole production and ornithine decarboxylase activity. The presence of growth diffused throughout the tube shows your organism is motile. Indole detects if bacteria has the ability to breakdown tryptophan to indole. It is indicated by a red color known as Kovacs reagent. Ornithine decarboxylase is indicated by a purple color because of the removal of carbon dioxide. The next te...