title: Comparison of an agar slide blood culture device with Bactec 6B for the detection of bacteremia.
abstract: Each of 1,018 blood culture specimens was inoculated into Bactec 6B (Johnston Laboratories, Towson, MD) and a biphasic blood culture system that incorporates internal removable agar dip slides (Hylab). Ninety clinically significant pathogens were recovered: 66 from both systems, 14 from Bactec only, and 10 from Hylab only. The mean incubation times to positive of the two systems did not differ when data were examined for gram-negative bacilli, gram-positive cocci, total isolates, and contaminants (P greater than 0.05). Contamination rates were also comparable: Bactec 5.4%, Hylab 7.3% (P greater than 0.05). The Hylab system may offer a practical alternative to Bactec 6B.
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000362:Agar