The medical industry will never stop searching for new solutions that are cost-effective, highly accurate, and rapid in terms of turn-around times.

Due to its effectiveness during the pandemic and becoming the gold standard for testing Covid, molecular diagnostic PCR testing is quickly becoming a more popular option for testing other pathogens in the clinical diagnostics space.

This is thanks, in part, to the high sensitivity rate of this testing method, the likes of which can test for a wide array of disease-causing bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens all at once. Here’s what you need to know about its effectiveness:

How Does Molecular Diagnostic PCR Testing Work?

“Molecular diagnostics, also called molecular pathology,” according to Yale Medicine, “involves taking DNA or RNA, the unique genetic code found in our cells, and analyzing the sequences for red flags that can pinpoint the potential emergence of a specific disease.”

Additionally, PCR stands for “polymerase chain reaction” and is reportedly used as “a test to detect genetic material from a specific organism, such as a virus.”

Thus, molecular diagnostic PCR testing — the likes of which operates in real-time — is completed when a patient’s DNA sample is copied numerous times over (otherwise referred to as being “amplified”) and scanned for the biofluorescent signatures of pathogens.

The use of DNA sequences renders this testing process highly efficient, effective, and accurate, thereby leading to its rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the disadvantages of culture testing that don’t impact RT-PCR testing?

• Culture testing does not occur in real-time and may require multiple days to achieve results
• Culture testing cannot identify gene resistance markers
• Culture testing cannot test for as wide of a variety of pathogens as PCR testing can
• Culture testing results may be impacted by antibiotic use
• And more

Simply put, research has shown that “direct sequencing provides accurate and extensive data.”

Pointing to the Future of PCR Testing

“Advancements in molecular diagnostic testing will continue to improve the accuracy and speed by which we can detect microbial pathogens or analyze a patient’s genes, and is becoming an essential aspect of patient-tailored interventions and therapeutics,” the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirms.

Consequently, the faster a provider can offer molecular diagnostic PCR testing, the more quickly and accurately they’ll be able to treat their patients, thereby enhancing the physician-patient relationship.

We provide RT-PCR testing in all infection categories that is accurate, fast, and convenient because we know each specimen represents someone who is ill and we want to assist the physician in the diagnosing process so treatment can start as soon as possible.  If you’re ready to learn more or get started, simply contact NCF Diagnostics & DNA Technologies today by calling (352) 375-5553 or emailing info@ncfdna.com.