Comparison of the API Staph. Kit and a two sugar maltose/ trehalose fermentation test in the identification of staphlococcus epidermidis

Coagulase negative staphylococci are frequently isolated from clinical specimens. Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most pathogenic coagulase negative staphylococcus. In this paper, we compared the results obtained when Staphylococcus epidermidis is identi fied by a commercially available kit, the API Staph kit, and by a simple two sugar method, trehalose and maltose. Both methods concurred and we feel that the two sugar method provides an inexpensive rapid and simple means of identifying Staphylococcus epidermidis.