TY - JOUR
T1 - Rapid detection of positive blood cultures with the BACTEC NR-660 does not require first-day subculturing
AU - Levi, M. H.
AU - Gialanella, P.
AU - Motyl, M. R.
AU - McKitrick, J. C.
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - An analysis of blood culture data was performed to determine whether subculturing within the first 24 h of incubation decreased the time to detection of positive blood cultures when compared with the routine use of the BACTEC NR-660 system (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.). During a 9-month period (June 1985 to February 1986), 17,913 blood cultures were received in our laboratory, of which 1,463 (8.2%) became positive. Of the positive cultures, 97% were detected with equal or greater rapidity by the NR-660 system than by visual inspection and first-day blind subculturing. There were 37 delayed positive cultures from which only one isolate (0.07%) was not eventually detected by the NR-660 system. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most frequent isolate among the delayed positive cultures, but only 3 of 15 isolates were known to be clinically significant isolates. The longest delay in detection by the NR-660 system was 6 days for one isolate of Cryptococcus neoformans and one isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although subculturing may decrease the time to detection of a few cultures, the majority of positive blood cultures were detected faster or with equal speed by the NR-660 system. When the data were evaluated, routine use of the NR-660 system was sufficient for the detection of positive blood cultures and was cost-effective.
AB - An analysis of blood culture data was performed to determine whether subculturing within the first 24 h of incubation decreased the time to detection of positive blood cultures when compared with the routine use of the BACTEC NR-660 system (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.). During a 9-month period (June 1985 to February 1986), 17,913 blood cultures were received in our laboratory, of which 1,463 (8.2%) became positive. Of the positive cultures, 97% were detected with equal or greater rapidity by the NR-660 system than by visual inspection and first-day blind subculturing. There were 37 delayed positive cultures from which only one isolate (0.07%) was not eventually detected by the NR-660 system. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most frequent isolate among the delayed positive cultures, but only 3 of 15 isolates were known to be clinically significant isolates. The longest delay in detection by the NR-660 system was 6 days for one isolate of Cryptococcus neoformans and one isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Although subculturing may decrease the time to detection of a few cultures, the majority of positive blood cultures were detected faster or with equal speed by the NR-660 system. When the data were evaluated, routine use of the NR-660 system was sufficient for the detection of positive blood cultures and was cost-effective.
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U2 - 10.1128/jcm.26.11.2262-2265.1988
DO - 10.1128/jcm.26.11.2262-2265.1988
M3 - Article
C2 - 3069859
AN - SCOPUS:0023771677
SN - 0095-1137
VL - 26
SP - 2262
EP - 2265
JO - Journal of Clinical Microbiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Microbiology
IS - 11
ER -