Identification of Enterobacteriaceae: report of the British Society for Multipoint Technology collaborative study

Under the auspices of the British Society for Multipoint Technology, 84 strains of Enterobacteriaceae were identified by multipoint inoculation techniques in eight laboratories. Results were compared to assess the inter-laboratory reproducibility and reliability of each test. Identity of the test strains was also determined by use of two commercially produced kits. Most test strains were identified by the multipoint inoculation systems, which were cost effective and generally accurate, although some laboratories performed better than others. Reproducibility of some test results was variable.