Comparison of identification of Enterobacteriaceae by API 20E and Sensititre Autoidentification System

Of 251 isolates of the Enterobacteriaceae identified to species level by API 20E, 208 (83%) were similarily identified by the Sensititre Autoidentification System. Both systems shared a common problem in that discrimination between species of the genera Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Serratia was poor. The eight digit biocode generated by the Sensititre system for individual isolates is not reproducible and therefore not of epidemiological value.