title: Comparison of Oxoid Signal and biphasic blood culture systems in clinical practice.
abstract: The 1-bottle Oxoid Signal blood culture system was compared with a biphasic 2-bottle system in a clinical trial. A total of 851 routine blood samples were processed in the study which was run as a multicenter study at 4 university hospitals. Microorganisms were isolated from 104 (12.2%) blood cultures by one or both methods. 75 (72%) were clinically significant isolates, 61 of them were recovered in both systems, 9 in Oxoid Signal only and 5 in the biphasic system only. 29 isolates (28%) were judged as contaminants, 6 of them were found in both systems, 18 in Oxoid Signal only and 5 in the biphasic system only. The Oxoid Signal System had many advantages although it sometimes gave false positive signals in the device. The growth of pathogens was equally good, 93% versus 88% positive cultures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology of Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Malmborg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ekwall
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Myrbäck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ringertz
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*