Abstract
Microbiology laboratories must provide accurate blood culture reports with rapid turnaround time (TAT) to effectively manage patients with sepsis. In this study three methods are compared for reporting blood culture results: a manual method that included use of a serum separator tube (SST), the conventional manual, and an automated method for identification and susceptibility (ID/AST). Broth from positive blood culture bottles was added to an SST and then centrifuged. The pellet obtained was used to directly inoculate biochemical tests for identification and agar plates for AST on the first day of positivity. Biochemicals and AST plates were read the next day and final results reported on the second day at 24 hours. For conventional disk diffusion testing, the newly positive blood culture broth was also inoculated on solid media on the first day and incubated overnight. The next day AST by was performed as well as biochemical tests from pure colonies. These colonies were also used to inoculate panels for ID/AST using the automated MicroScan 40SI System. These results were recorded on the third day and results reported at 48 hours. The study included 851 samples Out of 106 (12.4%) positive blood cultures, 102 were included in the study; Comparison of the 3 methods showed good correlation. Identification was correctly reported in 95 (93.1%) isolates. The overall AST error rate was 3.8%. The use of SST and direct from pellet inoculation reduced TAT for identification and AST results between 18 and 24 hours.
Highlights
Microbiology laboratories must provide accurate blood culture reports with rapid turnaround time (TAT) to effectively manage patients with sepsis
The aim of the study was to determine if the addition of serum separator tube (SST) to the routine blood culture methods would be a cost-effective way to reduce the turnaround time (TAT) for final results
Identification of positive blood cultures from Bactec The isolates identified during the study were
Summary
Microbiology laboratories must provide accurate blood culture reports with rapid turnaround time (TAT) to effectively manage patients with sepsis. The day AST by was performed as well as biochemical tests from pure colonies These colonies were used to inoculate panels for ID/AST using the automated MicroScan 40SI System. These results were recorded on the third day and results reported at 48 hours. The time to determine blood culture positivity and the growth on subcultured media can take longer than 48 hours to identify and perform antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ID/AST) on the pathogen. Both culture-dependent and independent methods are available for microbial ID/AST. Culture-independent methods include molecular tests (PCR) [2] but these require sophisticated equipment, which is too expensive for most diagnostic laboratories in developing countries
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