CONTROLLED CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF BACTEC PLUS AEROBIC/F AND BACT/ALERT AEROBIC FAN BOTTLES FOR DETECTION OF BLOOD-STREAM INFECTIONS

A total of 7,190 blood culture sets were obtained from adult patients with a suspected bloodstream infection. A 20-ml sample of blood was distributed equally between the aerobic FAN bottle which was monitored in the BacT/Alert system and a Plus Aerobic/F bottle which was monitored in the BACTEC 9240 system, A total of 988 positive cultures were obtained from 483 patients; however, only 453 positive cultures from 173 patients met the criteria for volume (greater than or equal to 8 mi per bottle) and clinical significance on the basis of concurrent case review required for data analysis, There were 25 and 68 false positives from the FAN and Plus Aerobic/F bottles, respectively, There were no statistically significant differences between systems in the number of positive cultures or septic episodes by species; however, the total number of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates combined was significantly greater in the FAN bottle (P = 0.04), Detection times did not differ significantly between systems for positive cultures; however, episodes of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia were detected significantly more rapidly from the FAN bottle ( = 0.005), There was no significant difference between systems in the detection of bloodstream infections in patients receiving antibiotics at the time of blood culture.