ABSTRACT
Some automated systems of the identification and susceptibility for microorganisms are used and prevail in hospital laboratories. One of the most serious problems is to perform accurate susceptibility testing for low-level resistant organisms, while antibiotic resistant microbes are increasing in medical fields. To evaluate automated machines for the susceptibility testing, several antibiotic resistant organisms were examined by plural technicians in some laboratories. Each strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycinintermediate S. aureus (VISA), extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested by three automated systems of WalkAway, VITEK2/VITEK2 compact and Phoenix for susceptibility. The results for antibiotics generated by the systems were compared to those generated by reference methods according to CLSI guidelines. The results of WalkAway, VITEK2/VITEK2 compact, and Phoenix demonstrated 92%, 91%, and 96% of reproducibilities, 92%, 94%, and 91% of MIC agreements, 0.5%, 0.8%, and 0.3% of very major error (VME) and 0.3%, 1.4%, and 2.3% of major error (ME), respectively. All automated systems had a high reproducibility even under the performance of plural technicians, although the differences of VMEs and MEs were observed among the systems. From these data, the automated systems for antimicrobial susceptibility testing were more useful for the detection of antibiotic resistant organisms by understanding the characteristics of each system.
