Evaluation of CHROMagar orientation medium for the identification of surveillance cultures: a novel method

Microbiological surveillance helps prevent the spread of potentially pathogenic organisms on high-risk units. This study describes a simple method for identifying aerobic Gram-negative bacilli isolated from a neonatal intensive care unit screening programme. The identification scheme combines CHROMagar with three commonly used laboratory tests and multipoint technology. The procedure produced identical results when compared with an established identification method (Mast ID) over a three-week period. Financial evaluation suggests that significant cost savings could be achieved with the new scheme.