Inoculation of API-20E from positive blood cultures

The API-20E system (Analytab Products, Inc., Plainview, N. Y.) was inoculated from 4- to 6-h tryptic soy broth cultures that had been inoculated from positive blood cultures containing gram-negative bacilli. This method gave the same genus and species identification for 139 of 140 organisms (47 patient and 96 simulated positive cultures) when compared to the Analytab Products, Inc., recommended method of inoculation.