Rapid Molecular Testing for Positive Blood Cultures

NICL Laboratories will be providing new rapid molecular tests to aid in diagnosis of blood stream infections which could lead to sepsis. These new tests, called the Verigene® Blood Culture Nucleic Acid BC-GP or BC-GN, are for detection and identification of gram positive and gram negative organisms, respectively. These tests are also capable of detection of drug resistance markers. The test(s) will be automatically performed when a blood culture becomes positive.

Once a blood culture has been shown to be positive, a gram stain is performed to determine whether the organism is gram positive or gram negative, or if both are present. A sample is then submitted to the Verigene system for BC-GP (Gram Positive) or BC-GN (Gram Negative) organism identification. The results are available in approximately 3 hours. This will reduce the time for identification of the organism and resistance markers for 90% of organisms by nearly two days. The lists below indicate the organisms and resistance markers that can be detected.

Studies have shown that delayed administration of appropriate antibiotics is associated with a decrease in survival rate for each hour that the appropriate antimicrobial treatment is delayed^*1. Rapid molecular testing of blood cultures has been shown to reduce this time and is associated with significant institutional cost savings^*2.

The laboratory will continue to provide complete susceptibility profiles for blood culture isolates using conventional culture methods, to identify organisms not detected by this method, differentiate mixed culture growth, and to associate antimicrobial resistance marker genes to a specific organism.

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