Two Shanghai hospitals are trying a new diagnostic test for respiratory diseases that can detect the cause within four hours rather than the current three or four days, a medical conference was told at the weekend.

Over 1,350 experts from home and abroad took part in the five-day International Symposium on Respiratory Diseases.

"The effects (of the technology) have been confirmed in the US and Europe. The city's science and technology committee has required Zhongshan Hospital and Huashan Hospital to launch local tests," said Dr Bai Chunxue, vice director of Chinese Medical Association's respiratory disease branch and director of Zhongshan Hospital's pulmonary disease department.

"We will start research later this month and the results will be known in one year. If the effects are confirmed, the tests will be promoted among more hospitals in the city."

Respitory syndrmes affect some 70 million people in China.

(Shanghai Daily November 5, 2007)