Reliability of early identifications obtained with Enterobacteriaceae-plus biochemical cards in the automicrobic system.

The AutoMicrobic system (AMS) is capable of identifying most Enterobacteriaceae within 8 h and many glucose-nonfermenting, gram-negative bacilli after 13 h of incubation. Early preliminary results can be readily obtained from the computer as the tests incubate. Data with 1,023 bacterial isolates were reviewed to determine the relative accuracy of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 13-h identifications. All AutoMicrobic system identifications with probability (P) values of less than 0.80 were considered equivocal responses which needed supplementary tests before a final report could be issued. Analysis of our data suggests that early identifications of Morganella morganii, Acinetobacter sp., Yersinia spp., Salmonella spp. (other than Salmonella typhi), Shigella spp. (other than Shigella sonnei), Enterobacter agglomerans, Pseudomonas spp. (other than Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Pseudomonas maltophilia), Klebsiella spp. (other than Klebsiella pneumoniae or Klebsiella oxytoca), Citrobacter amalonauticus, Serratia liquefaciens, or Vibrio spp. Should be considered nonspecific responses, even when P greater than or equal to 0.80. Other identifications reported after 4 h were 96% accurate. At least half of our isolates (60% of our Enterobacteriaceae) could be identified reliably within 4 h, the remaining isolates required longer incubation.