Evaluation of MSP96, MBT Biotarget™ 96 and AnchorChip™ 600/96 MALDI-TOF MS target plates for direct identification of positive blood cultures.

The objective of the study was to compare the diagnostic performances of three Bruker MALDI-TOF MS target plates. A combination of two or three targets results in an increase of the identification percentage, especially in problem isolates as gram-positive cocci and yeast.

Detection of Neisseria meningitidis in a patient receiving ravulizumab by the FilmArray® Meningitis/Encephalitis panel- A case report.

The FilmArray® Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel detects the 14 most frequent pathogens causing meningitis and/or encephalitis. The use of FilmArray® ME is an alternative when culture-based methods are limited because an early antibiotic treatment. We describe the case of a 43-year-old woman receiving ravulizumab, a complement component C5 inhibitor, in whom the FilmArray® ME technique successfully identified Neisseria meningitidis in cerebrospinal fluid.

Characteristics of patients with suspected COVID-19 pneumonia and repeatedly negative RT-PCR.

OBJECTIVES: Challenges remain and there are still a sufficient number of cases with epidemiological, clinical features and radiological data suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia that persist negative in their RT-PCR results. The aim of the study was to define the distinguishing characteristics between patients developing a serological response to SARS-CoV-2 and those who did not. METHODS: RT-PCR tests used were TaqPath 2019-nCoV Assay Kit v1 (ORF-1ab, N and S genes) from Thermo Fisher Diagnostics and SARS-COV-2 Kit (N and E genes) from Vircell. Serological response was tested using the rapid SARS-CoV2 IgG/IgM Test Cassette from T and D Diagnostics Canada and CMC Medical Devices and Drugs, S.L, CE. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, we included a cohort of 52 patients recruited from 31 March 2020 to 23 April 2020. Patients with positive serology had an older average age (73.29) compared to those who were negative (54.82) (P<0.05). Sat02 in 27 of 34 patients with positive serology were below 94% (P<0.05). There was a frequency of 1.5% negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCRs during the study period concurring with 36.7% of positivity. CONCLUSION: Clinical features and other biomarkers in a context of a positive serology can be considered crucial for diagnosis.