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The rapid evaluation of bacterial growth in blood cultures by selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and comparison with the BacT/ALERT automated blood culture system.

Scotter JM, Allardyce RA, Langford VS, Hill A, Murdoch DR

Syft Technologies Ltd., Medical Applications, Christchurch, New Zealand. jenny.scotter@syft.com

We compared the performance of the BacT/ALERT automated blood culture system with real-time, quantitative volatile organic compound (VOC) detection by selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Blood samples from healthy donors were artificially infected with 5 or 100 CFU of organisms commonly causing bacteremia. Positive results by SIFT-MS analysis of headspace gases were recorded for 53/60 (88.3%) bottles at 8h, and 58/60 (96.6%) bottles at 24 h. We conclude that SIFT-MS is a sensitive method for the detection of microbial VOCs. Furthermore, profiles of the VOCs detected may allow simultaneous identification of infecting organisms.

Published 15 May 2006 in J Microbiol Methods, 65(3): 628-31.
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