Evaluation of the rapid NFT system for identification of gram-negative, nonfermenting rods

This study evaluated the ability of the Rapid NFT system (API System SA, Montalieu-Vercieu, France) to accurately identify 262 clinically isolated, gram-negative, nonfermentative rods without additional tests. Identifications were classified as correct; low discrimination, with a spectrum of two or more possibilities (additional tests necessary for accurate identification); and incorrect. Correct identification rates were analyzed in two categories: (i) correct to species or biotype for all organism groups except Alcaligenes faecalis-odorans, Moraxella, Pseudomonas testosteroni-alcaligenes-pseudoalcaligenes, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biotype haemolyticus-alcaligenes (in this category, the latter four genus-biotype group identifications were taken as correct) and (ii) correct to species or biotype in all cases, including the above four groups. In category i, 87.4% of the strains were correctly identified, with 4.2% low discrimination and 8.4% incorrect. When the criteria of category ii were used, 71.8% of the strains were correctly identified, with 19.9% low discrimination. The Rapid NFT system provided excellent species identification of Pseudomonas and Flavobacterium spp., Bordetella bronchiseptica, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans strains. Within Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, differentiation between biotypes anitratus and lwoffi was satisfactory, but the system did not differentiate between biotypes haemolyticus and alcaligenes. Species resolution within the genera Moraxella and Alcaligenes was incomplete. All Alcaligenes faecalis strains were misidentified and accounted for 50% of misidentifications with the Rapid NFT system; however, these results may reflect taxonomic differences rather than true misidentifications. The Rapid NFT system is easy to inoculate and interpret and represents a worthwhile advance in the identification of gram-negative, nonfermentative rods.