Use of mass spectrometry for rapid diagnosis of positive blood cultures: Validation of a local algorythm

• Published in: Revista chilena de infectología Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 399 - 402
• Main Authors: Hervé, Beatrice, Corvalán, Valerie, Hormazábal, Sara, Salas, Alberto, Cabezas, Catalina, Badilla, Nora, Munizaga, Rodrigo, Quintana, Fabiola, de la Fuente, Sebastián
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Chile 01.08.2015
• Subjects: Algorithms; Bacteriological Techniques - methods; Blood - microbiology; Culture Media - analysis; Mass Spectrometry; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
• ISSN: 0716-1018
• DOI: 10.4067/S0716-10182015000500005

Mass spectrometry (MS) is used in identification of positive blood culture, a contribution in the clinical management of septic patients. The protocol is labor intensive and disrupts the normal workflow in a clinical laboratory. We intended to make rapid diagnosis by using MS directly from shortly incubated blood agar plates (4 to 6 hours) comparing with results of the conventional method (MC). We worked in parallel 145 positive blood cultures, with correct identification by short method in 79% of cases. We observed better yield with non carbon bottles and with gramnegative rods. With this information we designed a rapid identification algorithm using MS, which allows advancing diagnosis in 12-16 hours, without increasing to the costs or work load, since extraction protocol is not used.