rapid identification of microorganisms directly from blood culture using an in-house method by maldi-tof-ms

Background: several commercial and in-house methods have been developed for identifying microorganisms directly from blood culture bottles (bcbs) using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof-ms). accurate and rapid identification can significantly reduce the reporting time for critical patients. objectives: this study aimed to evaluate a simple, cost-effective method for detecting microorganisms from bcbs using the vitek ms system and to compare the results with conventional blood culture and gram staining methods. methods: a total of 296 monomicrobial blood cultures were processed using an in-house extraction protocol and analyzed via the vitek ms system. the results were compared to conventional culture methods, and statistical significance was assessed using chi-square analysis. results: gram-negative pathogens were identified with 92.0% accuracy, while gram-positive pathogens were correctly identified in 66.4% of cases using the in-house method. statistical analysis revealed that this difference was significant (p < 0.01), highlighting the method's higher reliability for gram-negative bacteria. these results underscore the importance of refining protocols for gram-positive bacteria to enhance overall diagnostic performance. conclusions: the in-house method provided a cost-effective and feasible alternative for routine laboratory settings. while identification was highly successful for gram-negative bacteria, further refinement is needed to improve accuracy for gram-positive bacteria.