Evaluation of the Repliscan system for identification of Enterobacteriaceae

The Repliscan system, a semiautomated method for identifying gram-negative bacilli, was evaluated for its potential usefulness in clinical microbiology laboratories. A total of 1,877 isolates, including 1,712 fermentative and 165 nonfermentative organisms, were tested in parallel with the Repliscan and Enterotube methods of enteric identification. Discrepancies were retested in each system as well as with conventional methods. The Repliscan method correctly identified 91%, misidentified 2%, and failed to identify 7% of the fermentative orgamisms tested. Of the genera under study, Enterobacter posed the greatest problem to the system in terms of overall identification rates. The Repliscan appears to be an efficient, economic, and effective laboratory tool for identification of Enterobacteriaceae.