Comparison of bacterial identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and conventional diagnostic microbiology methods: agreement, speed and cost implications

摘要

Clinical microbiology laboratories are under increasing pressure to deliver a service that is both reliable and cost-effective, with a rapid turnaround time. However, pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing still relies primarily on culture and phenotypic analysis, which is time-consuming and labour-intensive, requiring 24-36 h from initial pathogen isolation to result. Semi-automated identification and susceptibility testing systems such as Phoenix (Becton-Dickinson), Vitek 2 (bioMerieux) and Microscan Walkaway (Siemens) have overcome some of this delay, but they are still time-consuming.1