Role of Wound Secretion Smears and Real-time Quantitative PCR in Rapid Diagnosis of Clostridium Perfringens

Objective To compare using smear examination in searching gram positive bacillus method with real-time quantitative PCR method in rapid diagnosis of clostridium perfringens.Methods 16 patients with suspected gaseous gangrene who were also found gram positive bacillus by the examination of wound secretion smear were assigned to receive real-time quantitative PCR and be performed wound smear bacteriological culture.Results 6 out of the 16 patients were confirmed positive by real-time quantitative PCR and at the same time their wound smear bacteriorlogical culture was also found clostridium perfringens.Conclusion Real-time quantitative PCR is more accurate and sensitive for rapid diagnosis of clostridium perfringens compared with the traditional method of smear examination.