Bacteriuria screening and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of aerobic bacteria by an electrochemical method

A method is described for detecting significant bacteriuria and determination of minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC's) of aerobically growing bacteria by using electrochemical electrodes to measure changes of oxygen tensions in liquid nutrient media resulting from bacterial growth. Urine specimens (n = 577) were screened electrochemically, parallel investigations were performed by standard culture methods and by photometrical measurements. All the specimens showing significant bacteriuria in standard culture were selected within 3.5 h by the electrochemical technique. An oxygen index OI was introduced which quantitatively reflects changes in oxygen tension of nutrient media during growth. OI shows good agreement with extinction and light scattering indices, respectively. On the basis of OI as a parameter of inhibited and uninhibited growth a correlation between OI and MIC's of aerobically growing bacteria was found. The electrochemical method provides an useful aid for rapid, preliminary antimicrobial susceptibility testing and definite bacteriuria screening. The application of this method in bacteriological urine diagnostics significantly reduces laboratory work and costs, and can be recommended for the screening of urine specimens to exclude negative specimens from further processing.