Characterization of anaerobic bacteria by using a commercially available rapid tube test for glutamic acid decarboxylase.

A rapid glutamic acid decarboxylase microdilution test for presumptive identification of certain anaerobic bacteria was marketed recently by Carr-Scarborough Microbiologicals, Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga. The test was evaluated with 474 clinical isolates, representing 11 genera and 54 species, and was found to be a useful aid in the presumptive identification of Bacteroides fragilis, B. distasonis, B. vulgatus, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. ovatus, B. uniformis, B. eggerthii, Clostridium perfringens, C. barati, C. sordellii, and Eubacterium limosum.