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2014 March (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Coagulase test

Q62 marksShort Notes

Answer

The coagulase test detects the enzyme coagulase, which converts fibrinogen to fibrin, causing plasma to clot — it is the single most important test used to distinguish the pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase-positive) from the generally less pathogenic coagulase-negative staphylococci (e.g., S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus).

Types of coagulase and corresponding tests:

  • Free (extracellular) coagulase — detected by the tube test: bacterial growth is emulsified in citrated/EDTA rabbit or human plasma and incubated at 37°C; the tube is examined for clot formation at intervals up to 4 hours (and again at 18–24 hours, since some strains produce clots only later, or a formed clot can undergo fibrinolysis if left too long) — a positive test shows visible gel/clot formation.
  • Bound coagulase (clumping factor) — detected by the rapid slide test: a bacterial suspension is mixed directly with a drop of plasma on a slide; visible clumping within seconds indicates a positive result. The slide test is faster but less sensitive, so a negative slide test should be confirmed with the tube test before reporting coagulase-negative.

Clinical significance: coagulase positivity correlates with virulence (coagulase helps the organism wall itself off with a protective fibrin layer, resisting phagocytosis) and is the key laboratory criterion for identifying S. aureus in routine diagnostic microbiology, guiding both diagnosis and infection-control decisions.

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