Rapid carbohydrate fermentation test for confirmation of the pathogenic Neisseria using a Ba(OH)2 indicator.

The Ba(OH)2 indicator system was demonstrated to be a practical procedure in assisting clinical bacteriologists in the accurate and rapid identification of the pathogenic Neisseria from clinical specimens. This system measured the release of CO2, resulting from the metabolism of fermentable carbohydrate, as the precipitated BaCO3, by means of a spectrophotometer, The method was uncomplicated and can be performed in most clinical bacteriology laboratories.