A critical review of the antibody-coated bacteria test.

Reports extolling the virtues of the antibody-coated bacteria immunofluorescent test continue to appear and therapeutic decisions are being made on the results of this test. In this review 2 unresolved issues are examined: 1) what constitutes a positive test and 2) how accurately does the antibody-coated bacteria test define the tissue source of infection. These issues should be resolved before all clinicians and researchers jump on the antibody-coated bacteria test bandwagon.