Group A and Group B Strep Screening, Changes to Protocol
Beginning Tuesday, January 14, 2014, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Microbiology Laboratory will begin performing Group A and B Streptococcus screening using the Illumigene nucleic acid amplification platform. This has significant but different impacts on each test as follows:
Group A Strep (GAS) screens:
Group B Strep (GBS) Screens:
The Epic codes for these tests are as follows:
Group A Strep:
O103409 Group A Streptococcus with reflex to culture (Inpatient)
O103411 (Outpatient)
Group B Strep:
O103412 Group B streptococcus with reflex to culture (Inpatient)
O103414 (Outpatient)
There is a checkbox within the GBS screen for ordering susceptibility testing on penicillin-allergic patients and a reminder within the GBS result in Epic that susceptibility testing can still be ordered even after a screening result is reported out.
Questions concerning this broadcast can be directed to Bradley Ford, MD, PhD, Associate Medical Director of Microbiology, (ext. 6-2990, bradley-ford-1@uiowa.edu).