Abstract
In our hospital, we use the BACTECTM FX (Becton, Dickinson, and Company [BD]) automated blood culture system for bacterial detection. Blood samples are cultured in a set of three vials, each containing one of the following BD mediums: BACTECTM aerobic plus (Aero-plus), BACTECTM anaerobic plus (Anaero-plus), and BACTECTM anaerobic lytic (Anaero-lytic). The performances of these vials were compared by examining the rate and time of bacterial detection in samples. Of the 3,217 blood culture samples collected from April 2012 to March 2014, 2,435 samples with more than two sets of vials were analyzed, and 440 samples were positive for bacteria. Of the 306 samples collected before starting antibiotic therapy, the bacterial detection rate of the Anaero-lytic vial (84.3%, 258/306) was significantly higher than that of the Anaero-plus vial (77.1%, 236/306). The detection rate for the 134 samples collected during antibiotic therapy was not significantly different between the two kinds of anaerobic vials. Of the samples collected before the start of antibiotic therapy, the average detection time of the Anaero-lytic vials was significantly shorter than that of the Anaero-plus vials. No significant difference was found in the average detection time between the two kinds of anaerobic vials in samples collected during antibiotic therapy. We conclude that the use of the Anaero-lytic vials improved the rate and time of bacterial detection in blood cultures, especially for samples collected before the start of antibiotic therapy.
