Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of culture methods, qPCR and 16S rDNA PCR
Widely available
Inexpensive
Antimicrobial susceptibility data
Slower
Not species-specific
Only detects living organisms
Cannot identify all bacteria
Fastest method
Detects viable and non-viable bacteria
Low chance of contamination
High sensitivity
Narrow spectrum (species-specific)
Limited antimicrobial susceptibility data
Wide spectrum
Allows species differentiation (with sequencing)
Second-line option for undetectable bacteria
Vulnerable to contamination
Slower than qPCR
No antimicrobial susceptibility data
qPCR, quantitative PCR.