title: Turnaround time of positive blood cultures after the introduction of matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: A comparative evaluation of the turnaround time (TAT) of positive blood culture before and after matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) introduction in the laboratory routine was performed. A total of 643 positive blood cultures, of which 310 before and 333 after MALDI-TOF technique introduction, were collected. In the post MALDI-TOF period, blood culture median TAT decreased from 73.53 hours to 71.73 for Gram-positive, from 64.09 hours to 63.59 for Gram-negative and from 115.7 hours to 47.62 for anaerobes. MALDI-TOF significantly decreased the TAT of anaerobes, for which antimicrobial susceptibility test is not routinely performed. Furthermore, the major advantage of MALDI-TOF introduction was the decrease of the time for pathogen identification (TID) independently from the species with an improvement of 93% for Gram-positive, 86% for Gram-negative and 95% for anaerobes. In addition, high species-level identification rates and cost savings than conventional methods were achieved after MALDI-TOF introduction.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giordano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dicuonzo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avola
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crea
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Etleva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dedej
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Florio
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Blood culture; MALDI-TOF; Turnaround time (TAT)