Evaluation of API NH, a new 2-hour system for identification of Neisseria and Haemophilus species and Moraxella catarrhalis in a routine clinical laboratory.

API NH is a new 2-h system (bioMérieux, La Balme-les-Grottes, France) for the identification of most Neisseria and Haemophilus spp. of clinical significance and of Moraxella catarrhalis and for the detection of penicillinase production. Furthermore, this system allows the biotyping of Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae. Three hundred eighteen strains belonging to these species, previously identified by conventional methods, were tested. Among the 305 strains belonging to species included in the data base, 225 (73.8%) were identified without additional tests, 79 (25.9%) were correctly identified after extra tests, and 1 strain (0.3%) was misidentified. For 131 (90.3%) of the 145 H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae strains, results of biotyping were in agreement with results of standard methods. API NH is an accurate and reliable method for the routine identification of these bacteria in a clinical laboratory, for biotyping of Haemophilus spp., and for the detection of penicillinase-producing strains. The system is ready to use and time saving; inoculation of the system and reading of results are easy.