Final answer:
Lab technicians can use gram staining, catalase tests, susceptibility to bacitracin, and latex agglutination tests to differentiate between staphylococcal and streptococcal infections. For determining antibiotic treatment, labs perform susceptibility tests like the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if the infection is staphylococcal or streptococcal, a lab technician might employ several specific methods. Initial discrimination between the two can be started with a gram stain, as Staphylococcus aureus is gram-positive cocci that appears in clusters, while Streptococcus pyogenes is gram-positive but forms chains. After gram staining, a catalase test can be conducted where Staphylococcus will produce bubbles indicating a positive result, while Streptococcus will be catalase-negative.
Another discriminatory test includes the sensitivity to 0.04 units of bacitracin, which Streptococcus pyogenes is susceptible to, thereby generating a clear zone of inhibition around the antibiotic disc. Moreover, latex agglutination tests are used for the rapid identification of both S. aureus and S. pyogenes, with the presence of specific antigens causing agglutination of coated latex beads.
When it comes to determining the best course of antibiotic treatment, the lab might perform an antibiotic susceptibility test such as the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test to see which antibiotics effectively inhibit bacterial growth. Because many streptococcal infections are susceptible to penicillin, this antibiotic is commonly prescribed unless the pathogen shows resistance, in which case alternatives like erythromycin or clindamycin might be considered.