Rapid detection of bacteremia in children with a modified lysis direct plating method.

A modified lysis direct plating method was developed for culturing blood specimens from pediatric patients. The method, which used the commercially available Isolator 1.5 Microbial Tube, consisted of direct inoculation of lysed blood to agar media and into a tube containing modified eugonic broth. During a 4,478-specimen study, 195 of 324 (60.2%) clinically significant isolates were detected within 24 h of specimen arrival in the laboratory. This method offers a rapid means to obtain quantitative blood culture results from pediatric patients and is an alternative to conventional and radiometric broth culture procedures.