Evaluation of the BacT/ALERT and BACTEC 9240 automated blood culture systems for growth time of Brucella species in a Turkish tertiary hospital.
BACKGROUND
The isolation of Brucella species from blood may be achieved by using classic culture techniques, but detection of the organism is difficult due to its slow growth. The time-to-detection of Brucella can take up to 30 days using the Castaneda blood culture method. Automated blood culture systems have reduced the growth time of Brucella.


METHODS
In this report we would like to contribute our experience on detection time in the isolation of Brucella species from 33,039 blood culture sets using BacT/ALERT between 1995 and 2000 (13 isolates) and thereafter using both the BACTEC and BacT/ALERT systems (17 isolates).


RESULTS
Thirty Brucella spp. (17 by both systems and 13 by BacT/ALERT only) were isolated from 33,039 blood culture sets between 1995 and 2002. Brucellae were recovered between 1.8 and 3.7 days (mean: 2.5 days) in the BacT/ALERT blood culture system and between 2.1 and 3.8 days (mean: 2.8 days) in BACTEC 9240 system.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that the mean time-to-detection could be <or=3 days, which is considered rapid enough for starting appropriate evidence-based treatment in an endemic setting.
Baysallar
Mehmet
M
Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy and Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. mbaysallar@gata.edu.tr
Aydogan
Hakan
H
Kilic
Abdullah
A
Kucukkaraaslan
Ayten
A
Senses
Zeynep
Z
Doganci
Levent
L
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002002:Brucella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006761:Hospitals; D014421:Turkey