title: Acridine orange staining as a replacement for subculturing of false-positive blood cultures with the BACTEC NR 660.
abstract: Despite the customization of growth index thresholds within individual laboratories, use of the BACTEC NR 660 automated blood culture system results in a number of false-positive cultures. The results of Gram staining, acridine orange staining, and subculturing to agar media were evaluated on 210 false-positive blood cultures over a 6-month period. Inclusion of acridine orange staining in the routine workup of false-positive blood cultures can eliminate the need for subculturing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Christ Hospital and Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000165:Acridine Orange; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000165:Acridine Orange