Bioluminescent assay of bacterial ATP for rapid detection of bacterial growth in clinical blood cultures.
A bioluminescent assay of bacterial ATP for rapid detection of bacterial growth in 512 clinical aerobic blood cultures was evaluated. At the detection limit of bacterial ATP (10(-10) mol/l) in the blood cultures 94.2% of the true positive blood cultures were detected (sensitivity) and the specificity was 85.8%. If the cut-off limit was increased the sensitivity decreased and the specificity increased and at 2 x 10(-9) mol/l ATP the maximum correctly classified blood cultures was reached. At this cut-off limit the sensitivity was 82.9% and the specificity was 99.6%. In 54.3% of the true positive blood cultures bacterial growth was detected more rapidly with the bioluminescent assay than with macroscopic examination and subculture.
Department of Clinical Bacteriology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
L E
LE
Nilsson
O
O
Molin
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S
Anséhn
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000097:blood*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate