title: Comparison of culture and PCR methods in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.
abstract: Our aim in this study is to compare the standard culture method with the multiplex PCR and the Speed-Oligo®Bacterial Meningitis Test (SO-BMT) - a hybridization-based molecular test method - during the CSF examination of the patients with the pre-diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis. For the purposes of this study, patients with acute bacterial meningitis treated at the Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic between December 2009 and April 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was made based on the clinical findings, laboratory test anomalies, CSF analysis results, and the radiological images. Growth was observed in the CSF cultures of 10 out of the 57 patients included in the study (17.5%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated in all of them. The CSF samples of 34 patients (59.6%) were positive according to the SO-BMT and S. pneumoniae was detected in 33 of the samples (97.05%), while Neisseria meningitidis was found in 1 sample (2.95%). In a total of 10 patients, S. pneumoniae was both isolated in the CSF culture and detected in the SO-BMT. The culture and the SO-BMT were negative in 23 of the CSF samples. There was no sample in which the CSF culture was positive although the SO-BMT was negative. While SO-BMT seems to be a more efficient method than bacterial culturing to determine the pathogens that most commonly cause bacterial meningitis in adults, further studies conducted on larger populations are needed in order to assess its efficiency and uses.
authors: Celal Ertuğ Etimesgut State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Emel Ödemiş
authors: EÖ
authors: Başpınar
authors: Dicle University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors: Saim
authors: S
authors: Dayan
authors: Bismil State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Turkey. Electronic address: m_bekcibasi@hotmail.com.
authors: Muhammed
authors: M
authors: Bekçibaşı
authors: Dicle University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors: Recep
authors: R
authors: Tekin
authors: Dicle University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors: Celal
authors: C
authors: Ayaz
authors: Dicle University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors: Özcan
authors: Ö
authors: Deveci
authors: Fatih University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Salih
authors: S
authors: Hoşoğlu
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Bacterial meningitis; Culture; PCR; Speed-Oligo