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In the fast-paced world of clinical microbiology, time is of the essence.
Prompt diagnosis of infections, regardless of the localisation, is imperative for effective treatment. Since blood infections have such a high mortality rate due to complications of sepsis, fast analysis and identification of pathogens is key. That's why we're excited to share advancements in blood culture analysis using the Copan WASPLab®, as demonstrated by Cherkaoui et al.
Cherkaoui et al. investigated the minimal incubation times required for blood culture (BC) analysis using the WASPLab®, including MALDI-TOF-MS species identification and time taken for samples to reach appropriate growth for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
Pathogens frequently associated with blood infections at Geneva University Hospitals were isolated, and identification was checked by matrix-assisted desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a MALDI TOF-MS machine. Pre-prepared negative BCs were inoculated with these pathogens to a 0.5 McFarland, which would contain an approximate count of 108 CFU/ml and then spread plates were made. Minimal incubation times required for MALDI-TOF/MS based species identification, and for standard AST by disk diffusion, on the WASPLab® were established by performing time-series image acquisition on the WASPLab® at progressive time points, ranging from 2 to 72 hours.
Among bacteria with the lowest incubation times of 2 hours for both MALDI-TOF-MS identification and growth for AST were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis. Corynebacterium spp. were the only bacteria that required incubation times of 16 hours – which was the longest incubation time observed in this study. Despite sufficient biomass for the yeasts (Candida glabrata and C. albicans), reliable identification could not be achieved.
These results show that using the WASPLab®, turnaround times can be improved by applying specific time points using image analysis, which will consecutively improve patient outcomes and reduce mortality of blood infections.
Stay ahead in the fight against blood infections with the WASPLab® cutting-edge solution. By leveraging these advancements, we can improve patient care and outcomes together.
Source: A. Cherkaoui, 2020, Rapid identification by MALDI-TOF/MS and antimicrobial disk diffusion susceptibility testing for positive blood cultures after a short incubation on the WASPLab, European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
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