Quantitative cultures and drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium avium clinical isolates before and during the antimicrobial therapy

Abstract

Measurement of the intensity of the Mycobacterium avium bacteraemia in patients with AIDS by quantitative blood cultures confirms the diagnosis of disseminated infection and represents a prognostic value in regard to the timing of the patient's response to the antimicrobial therapy. Quantitative blood cultures during the course of therapy represent an important tool in monitoring the patient's response to treatment and in detecting a possible relapse of bacteraemia after the blood cultures become negative. Blood specimens collected in SPS-containing vacutainers can be safely shipped to the laboratory: the number of viable bacteria in such specimens remains stable for four days or longer, especially if the tube was refrigerated before mailing