title: Accuracy of the VITEK® 2 system for a rapid and direct identification and susceptibility testing of Gramnegative rods and Gram-positive cocci in blood samples.
abstract: The performance of the VITEK® 2 system for direct rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the bacteria responsible for blood infections was determined. The isolates studied included 166 Gram-negative rods and 74 Gram-positive cocci from inpatients. Specially treated monomicrobial samples from positive blood culture bottles were directly inoculated into the VITEK 2 system and the results were compared with those from cards inoculated with standardized bacterial suspensions. Compared with the standard method, 95.8% of Gram-negative rods were correctly identified by VITEK 2 and the overall level of agreement between the two methods in susceptibility testing was 92.0%. For Gram-positive bacteria, 89.2% were correctly identified by VITEK 2 and susceptibility testing revealed an overall agreement rate of 91.3%. These results suggest that VITEK 2 cards inoculated with fluids sampled directly from positive blood culture bottles are suitable for speedy identification and susceptibility testing of Gram-negative bacilli and Gram-positive cocci.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nimer
authors.affiliation: Princess Iman Research and Laboratory Sciences Centre, Royal Medical Services, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Al-Saa'da
authors.affiliation: King Hussein Medical Center, Royal Medical Services, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abuelaish
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis; D006095:Gram-Positive Cocci / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity