Quantitation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in wound biopsy samples:: from bacterial culture to rapid 'real-time' polymerase chain reaction

We developed a real-time detection (RTD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with rapid thermal cycling to detect and quantify Pseudomonas aeruginosa in wound biopsy samples. This method produced a linear quantitative detection range of 7 logs, with a lower detection limit of 10(3) colony-forming units (CFU)/g tissue or a few copies per reaction. The time from sample collection to result was less than 1 h. RTD-PCR has potential for rapid quantitative detection of pathogens in critical care patients, enabling early and individualized treatment.