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Saponin promotes rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in blood cultures with the Vitek 2 system

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Abstract

The rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bacteria in clinical blood cultures is crucial to optimise antimicrobial therapy. A previous study involving small sample numbers revealed that the addition of saponin to blood cultures, further referred to as the new method, shortened considerably the turn-around time for the identification and AST of Gram-positive cocci as compared to the current method involving an overnight subculture. Here, we extend previous results and compare the identification and AST of blood cultures containing Gram-negative bacilli by the new and current methods. The identification and AST of 121 Gram-positive and 109 Gram-negative bacteria in clinical monomicrobial blood cultures by the new and current methods and, in the case of Gram-negative bacilli, by direct (no additions) inoculation into an automated system (rapid method) was assessed using the Vitek 2 system. Discrepancies between the results obtained with the different methods were solved by manual methods. The new method correctly identified 88 % of Gram-positive and 98 % of Gram-negative bacteria, and the rapid method correctly identified 94 % of Gram-negative bacteria. The AST for all antimicrobials by the new method were concordant with the current method for 55 % and correct for an additional 9 % of Gram-positive bacteria, and concordant with the current method for 62 % and correct for an additional 21 % of Gram-negative bacilli. The AST by the rapid method was concordant with the current method for 62 % and correct for an additional 12 % of Gram-negative bacilli. Together, saponin-treated monomicrobial blood cultures allow rapid and reliable identification and AST of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

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Acknowledgement

We wish to thank Dr. D. Angileri for his technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, Via San Zeno 35–39, 56127, Pisa, Italy

    A. Lupetti, S. Barnini, P. Morici, E. Ghelardi & M. Campa

  2. Center of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    P. H. Nibbering

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  1. A. Lupetti
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  2. S. Barnini
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  3. P. Morici
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  4. E. Ghelardi
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  5. P. H. Nibbering
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  6. M. Campa
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Correspondence to A. Lupetti.

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Lupetti, A., Barnini, S., Morici, P. et al. Saponin promotes rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in blood cultures with the Vitek 2 system. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 32, 493–502 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1762-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1762-z

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