Performance of the FilmArray® blood culture identification panel utilized by non-expert staff compared with conventional microbial identification and antimicrobial resistance gene detection from positive blood cultures.

Performance of the FilmArray® blood culture identification panel utilized by non-expert staff compared with conventional microbial identification and antimicrobial resistance gene detection from positive blood cultures. J Med Microbiol. 2016 May 11; Authors: McCoy MH, Relich RF, Davis TE, Schmitt BH Abstract Utilization of commercially-available rapid platforms for microbial identification from positive blood cultures is useful during periods of, or in laboratories with, limited expert staffing. We compared the FilmArray® BCID Panel and conventional methods for organism identification and antibiotic resistance gene detection from positive blood cultures. Within 8 hours of signaling positive by a continuous monitoring blood culture system, positive bottles were analyzed by the FilmArray® BCID Panel. Data from these analyses were compared to standard-of-care testing, which included conventional and automated methods. To gauge the ease of use of the BCID Panel by non-expert staff, technologists unfamiliar with diagnostic bacteriology performed the testing without prior knowledge of the Gram stain results. Identifications of 172/200 (86%) positive blood cultures using the BCID Panel were consistent with identifications provided by standard-of-care methods. Standard-of-care testing identified organisms in 20 positive blood cultures, which were not represented on the BCID panel. Seven (3.5 %) blood cultures demonstrated a discrepancy be...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research