Feasibility determination for use of polymerase chain reaction in the US Air Force air-transportable hospital field environment: Lessons learned

At present, the use of molecular probes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of microorganisms in body fluids or tissues is beco ming more commonplace. There is an added advantage when serological or cult ure methods are difficult, expensive, or unavailable. Slow-growing or fasti dious microorganisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spirochetes, vi ruses, and the dimorphic fungi, can be detected rapidly using these techniq ues. The presence of different chromosomal or plasmid-mediated antibiotic-r esistant markers can also be determined. PCR is an extremely powerful tool that has been applied to research, and more recently it has been used to au gment standard clinical applications. It is a very simple process that can amplify nucleic acid sequences, both DNA and RNA, a million times over. The sensitivity, rapidity, broad applicability, and compactness of this techno logy make it an ideal candidate for use in the military arena. we recently established a molecular biology laboratory at a Deployable Medical System a t the Camp Parks Army Reserve Training Facility in Dublin, California. This article will briefly summarize the use of PCR and its applicability in the air-transportable hospital field environment. Proper handling, processing, and testing as well as the requirements for setting up a molecular biology laboratory Will be discussed. Finally, the benefits and disadvantages of u sing PCR-based techniques in the deployed field environment will be conside red.