Bactec fx instrument

The study was performed at the Department for Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. We offer a 12-h service period on weekdays and a 10-h service period on weekends and public holidays.
Our analysis included aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles (BD BACTEC™ Plus Aerobic/F, BD BACTEC™ Plus Anaerobic/F) that signalled positivity between 1 November 2018 and 30 April 2019. PED blood culture bottles and those inoculated with other materials than blood (e.g. joint fluid) were excluded. The pair of an aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottle was given the same case number, but for analysis, bottles were treated individually. After arrival at our laboratory, blood culture bottles were incubated in the BD BACTEC™ FX instrument for up to 7 days or until they signalled positive.

Strains, which were stored at −80°C, harboring two or more resistance genes were selected from our strain collection. These strains were thawed onto an agar plate. The blood culture bottles were spiked by strictly following the EUCAST RAST QC protocol (17 ). In brief, bacteria were suspended in 0.9% NaCl to a final turbidity equivalent of a 0.5 McFarland standard. One milliliter of a 1:1,000,000 diluted bacterial solution was then mixed with 5 ml of sterile sheep blood and inoculated into a BD Bactec Plus aerobic bottle (BD, Heidelberg, Germany). Bottles were incubated in a BD Bactec Fx instrument (BD, Heidelberg, Germany) at 37°C. After being flagged positive, the specimen underwent analysis using the BCID2 assay as described above.

sCD14-ST, PCT, CRP, and WBC were determined by PATHFAST Immunoanalyzer and Reagents (fluorescent enzyme immunoassay, Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), Immunochramato Reader HR 201 (Immuno-chromatographic assay, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, Germany), Olympus AU2700 Automated Chemistry Analyzer (Immune scatter turbidimetry, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Osaka, Japan), and Sysmex XE-5000 Automated Hematology Analyzer (Electrical impedance method and optical method, SYSMEX Corporation, Kobe, Japan), respectively. BD BACTEC FX Instrument and BD Phoenix-100 (New York) were used for blood culture and bacteria identification. Blood culture bottles and bacteria identification panels were purchased from Becton, Dickinson and Company (New York).
Collection and processing of clinical data: The name, gender, age, medical history, and blood biochemical test results of patients were recorded. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores were obtained for hematosepsis group.^{[8 ,9 (link)]} Blood specimens were taken from neonates with hematosepsis and then cultured in bacteriology room. True or false-positive results were determined in combination with clinical symptoms. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Longyan First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Longyan, China. Written informed parental consent was obtained for all patients.