Evaluation of Bacterial Diagnostics Kits and Systems at an Instructional Workshop

Abstract

Ten commercial bacterial diagnostic systems (AMS, API 20E, AUTOBAC IDX, CATHRA, ENTERIC-TEK, ENTEROTUBE II, MICRO-ID, MINITEK 4 h, MINITEK 24 h and SPECTRUM 10) were evaluated by use of 12 coded enteric bacteria (Arizona hinshawii, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, Hafnia alvei, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella morganii, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella flexneri) in two separate workshops (July, 1981 and July, 1982) consisting of 40 participants. Results indicated that most commercial systems provided satisfactory diagnosis (89% to 100%) of these organisms compared to conventional methods. The uniqueness of this study lies in the fact that a group of microbiologists from a variety of geographic locations, training and backgrounds were able to use these systems accurately after only a single exposure to many of the techniques in a workshop environment.