Does OneChoice consider the quantity of a microbe detected?

Quantity, bacterial or viral load, and CT values are not taken into consideration by the OneChoice Report. This is because there is limited data to suggest the quantity of a microbe will change treatment considerations.

In many situations, the quantity of non-pathogenic microbe may be higher than that of a pathogenic microbe, but OneChoice specifically focuses treatment on pathogenic microbes. For example, a urine specimen that detected high quantities of lactobacillus, and low quantities of gonorrhea. In this situation, the pathogen is clearly gonorrhea, as lactobacillus is a common flora colonizer.

In addition, molecular diagnostics do not typically distinguish between viable and non-viable microbes. Therefore, the quantity of a microbe may be misleading. Lastly, the way the sample was collected, and at which point during the timeline of disease, can affect the number of microbes isolated.