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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1969 August; 18(2): 156-158
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Four-Hour Urease Test for Distinguishing Between Klebsiella and Enterobacter

Department of Medical Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine, Irvine, California 92650
Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine, Irvine, California 92650
Los Angeles County General Hospital, Unit II, Los Angeles, California 90033

ABSTRACT

Infections with Klebsiella and Enterobacter have increased among hospitalized patients. To study such infections, relatively simple but precise methods are needed for clinical laboratories to identify the two genera accurately. Moreover, a rapid identification is essential for assisting with the therapy of the patients. For this purpose, a new 4-hr urease test was developed so that colonies could be tested directly from blood-agar plates which have been inoculated with clinical material and allowed to incubate overnight. This 4-hr test was positive with 98.5% of 202 Klebsiella species and negative with 80 Enterobacter species. As a single criterion for distinguishing between the two major genera, the new 4-hr urease test was just as accurate as a motility test (99% of the 282 isolates were accurately identified with either). The 4-hr urease test represents a simple, rapid, and reliable technique which is ideally suited for use in clinical microbiology laboratories.

¹ Present address: University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Davis, Calif. 95616.