Introduction
Timely identification of Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) and
Carbapenemase (CPE) producing organisms from surveillance specimens
results in a reduction in the spread of colonization and infection. The overall
financial burden on the healthcare system is also lessened by decreasing
the length of hospital stay and potential treatments. With the introduction of
WASP®/WASPLab® we have endeavored to be innovative and implement
time and cost effective methodologies to help prevent the spread of
ESBL/CPE organisms in our hospitals. The objective of this study was to
validate the use of a Colorex™ (CHROMagar™)
CHROMagarESBL/mSuper CARBA bi-plate using a 1ul dual loop to seed
plates on the WASP®, incubate and analyze plates on the WASPLab® and
perform digital imaging analysis.
Conclusion
The reduction in breakthrough growth on the CHOMagarESBL side of the
Colorex™(CHROMagar™)CHROMagarESBL/mSuper CARBA bi-plate
results in far less offline testing leading to time and cost savings. The 39%
reduction in processing time on the WASP®, as seen in the timing study, is
of critical importance as it positively affects the functional capacity of the
whole WASPLab® system leading to higher throughput. The WASPLab®
segregation software allows you to view and result multiple negative
images in just seconds.
