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. 1964 Nov;12(6):483–486. doi: 10.1128/am.12.6.483-486.1964

Studies on Bacterial Pyrogenicity1

III. Specificity of the United States Pharmacopeia Rabbit Pyrogen Test

William J Martin 1, Stanley Marcus 1
PMCID: PMC1058164  PMID: 14239579

Abstract

The specificity of the first or “presumptive” portion of the USP rabbit pyrogen test was investigated by use of a new absolute standard of reference. The reference standard was a 0.9% sodium chloride solution prepared to be pyrogen-free. Details of the preparation were described. The hypothesis was explored that the temperature response of rabbits after intravenous injection of the standard solution was independent of exogenous pyrogen. Reactions observed among the rabbits in our colony allowed a classification of these animals ranging from “consistently reliable” to “consistently unreliable.” Details of the experimental results and implications for pyrogen testing are discussed. The recommendation was made that all rabbit test animals be “screened” in sham and actual tests before being used for pyrogen testing.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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