A rapid yeast identification system has been developed by Analytab Products, Inc., for the identification of clinically significant yeast isolates other than Candida albicans in a matter of hours rather than days (C. albicans can already be rapidly identified by means of a germ tube test). Initial evaluation of the system indicated that it might have potential usefulness for the diagnostic microbiology laboratory. However, further study of the system indicated that it would not be useful, as the reactions on the test strip are not infrequently difficult to read and the identifications obtained too often do not provide adequate discrimination among species of yeast with similar biochemical reactions.
