Multiplex microarray PCR Unyvero BCU system to accelerate relevant antimicrobial treatment in polymicrobial...

Area of Science:

• Clinical microbiology
• Infectious diseases
• Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

• Polymicrobial bloodstream infections (BSI) pose significant treatment challenges.
• Rapid and accurate identification of causative agents and resistance mechanisms is crucial for effective therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Unyvero BCU system for rapid, multiplex identification of microorganisms in positive blood culture (BC) bottles with polymicrobial growth.
• To assess the detection of antimicrobial resistance directly from BC samples.
• To determine the relevance of BCU results for guiding polymicrobial BSI treatment.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study comparing BCU performance against standard of care for sample analysis.
• Retrospective analysis of clinical data and time-to-result.
• Experimental study using spiked blood cultures to assess antimicrobial resistance gene detection.

Main Results:

• BCU correctly identified all bacteria in 72.3% of polymicrobial samples and detected missed organisms in 13.8%.
• Accurate identification and resistance detection occurred in 61.5% of samples, with limitations in detecting certain organisms and resistance patterns.
• BCU results could have guided antimicrobial treatment in 50.8% of cases.

Conclusions:

• The Unyvero BCU system demonstrates potential as a rapid and reliable tool for analyzing polymicrobial blood cultures.
• Despite limitations, the system offers valuable information for managing polymicrobial bloodstream infections.