Laurel Glaser

Improved surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae using chromogenic media with a broth enrichment

In this study, 238 rectal screening swabs for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) were compared using chromID CARBA plates and the CDC reference method. Direct inoculation of chromID CARBA plates only identified 53% of CRE, whereas meropenem broth enrichment increased the positive agreement to 88% and identified additional cases of CRE. Additionally, the chromID CARBA method allowed for faster results and decreased the number of colonies further tested.

Kocuria rhizophila Misidentified as Corynebacterium jeikeium and Other Errors Caused by the Vitek MS System Call for Maintained Microbiological Competence in the Era of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is rapidly becoming a routine method for identification of microorganisms in the United States. Early studies showed strong performance for both commonly used systems, with identification rates of >90%

Analytical performance of the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress® point of care analyzer in whole blood, serum, and plasma.

OBJECTIVES To examine the analytical performance of 14 comprehensive metabolic panel analytes on the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress® Point of Care analyzer in serum, plasma, and whole blood. DESIGN AND METHODS Precision was evaluated by running two levels of control material over multiple days. Linearity was evaluated using material provided by the manufacturer and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) linearity surveys. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing the results from 60 patient specimens on the Piccolo Xpress® with the Ortho Vitros® 5600 analyzer. The method comparison was performed on all three specimen types intended for use on the Piccolo Xpress®: serum, heparinized plasma, and whole blood. Manufacturer suggested reference ranges for all 14 analytes were tested in serum and plasma specimens from 23 healthy volunteers. RESULTS High precision (CV ≤ 10%) was noted for all the analytes. Linearity was found to span the clinically useful range for all analytes. The method comparison demonstrated minimal proportional bias and good correlation for most of the analytes in all three matrices tested. The only exceptions were for sodium and total CO2, for which either significant proportional bias and/or poor correlation was noted in all three matrices. Significant bias was noted for AST in serum as well as for total bilirubin in plasma and whole blood. CONCLUSION The Piccolo Xpress® allows for the delivery of CMP results in a footprint small enough to be stored in a biological safety cabinet, while providing satisfactory performance for the majority of analytes.

Data from the analytical performance of the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress point of care analyzer in whole blood, serum, and plasma

The objective of this study was to examine the analytical performance of 14 comprehensive metabolic panel analytes on the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress® Point of Care analyzer in serum, plasma, and whole blood. A method comparison was performed on all three specimen types intended for use on the Piccolo Xpress®: serum, heparinized plasma, and whole blood. This data is also presented in Murata et al. (2015) [1]. This article includes the actual Bland-Altman bias plots of the difference in results obtained for analytes in the comprehensive metabolic panel from the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress and the comparison instrument, the Ortho Vitros.

Corynebacterium propinquum endocarditis: a confounding presentation of a rare entity

Infective endocarditis is rarely caused by Corynebacterium species. We report a unique case of Corynebacterium propinquum endocarditis in an otherwise healthy individual, and it is the first example of this organism causing culture-negative endocarditis. Conflicting clinical and microbiological data led to the use of sequencing to confirm the causative organism. This case illustrates C. propinquum as a cause of infective endocarditis, and it demonstrates the utility of ancillary molecular diagnostic techniques to identify etiologic agents in difficult cases of infective endocarditis.

Reply to “The Infallible Microbial Identification Test: Does It Exist?”

We agree with [van Belkum and colleagues][1] that there is no infallible microbial identification test, which is why it is important to recognize the faults in technologies that are being marketed as highly accurate. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (