Susceptibility testing with anaerobic blood culture isolates. Comparison of a rapid, direct methods with standardized method.

The results of a direct anaerobic susceptibility testing method were compared with those of a standardized method. Seventy-three blood culture isolates and eight antimicrobial agents were used. The results of the direct and standardized testing methods were within one two-fold dilution for 95.2% of the 584 anaerobe-antibiotic combinations tested. The direct susceptibility testing method is accurate and potentially valuable because the results are available more rapidly than those of the standardized testing method.