Procedure for the rapid determination of bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis

A method of treating a patient comprising:

• incubating a first portion of a bacteria sample obtained from a patient with a breakpoint dosage of a protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic;
• selecting an agent that will induce a bacterial response in the sample of bacteria that requires the same protein synthesis that is inhibited by the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic, wherein the bacterial response comprises changes in cell morphology in the form of changes in cell length, changes in cell size, changes in cell shape or combinations thereof;
• combining an effective amount of the agent selected to induce the bacterial response with the first portion of the bacteria during incubation with the breakpoint dosage of the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic;
• inducing, with the effective amount of the agent selected to induce the bacterial response, in a second portion of the bacteria sample that is not in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic the same bacterial response that requires the same protein synthesis that is inhibited by the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic;
• classifying the bacteria sample as susceptible or non-susceptible to the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic based on a differences in cell morphology between bacteria in the first and second portions of the bacteria sample;
• and
• administering the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic to the patient upon the classification of the bacteria as susceptible to the protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotic.