St. Charles uses new technology to battle the bug

It’s that time of year again, for the sneezes and sniffles. And although most of us never know exactly which bug is making us feel bad, you can now feel good about a new test designed to do just that.

St. Charles Bend now has a respiratory viral PCR panel — a $40,000 machine that breaks down virus and bacteria to the molecular level and identifies up to 23 unique strains — 20 viruses and three bacteria.

“It’s no longer a guessing game. We have definitive results for viral vs. bacterial, which is amazing technology,” St. Charles Immunology Supervisor Sharon Reams said Tuesday.

The Bend hospital got the machine last year, but expects this flu season will be the one that they really start using it to full capacity.

Scientists in the hospital’s lab put vials of nasal swabs from sick patients inside the box, and the machine does the rest, printing out results in about an hour.

Reams said while the technology has made her job busier, it has made doctors’ work easier and patients’ lives better.

“They (doctors) know the proper treatment, if they should go with antibiotics for the bacterial infections or maybe Tamiflu if you have influenza,” Reams said. “So the patient is treated correctly and not sent home with an unnecessary antibiotic.”

Reams said that’s important, because people are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics.

The new tests can also help keep track of data.

“If there’s a cluster of illnesses, it can help us identify what the cause is,” said Medical Director of the Department of Prevention and Control Dr. Rebecca Sherer.

The cost to get the test, however, is nothing to sneeze at. Reams said patient-out-of-pocket varies, but is not cheap.