Dataset Information

Automated versus manual sample inoculations in routine clinical microbiology: a performance evaluation of the fully automated InoqulA instrument.

ABSTRACT: The process of plate streaking has been automated to improve the culture readings, isolation quality, and workflow of microbiology laboratories. However, instruments have not been well evaluated under routine conditions. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the fully automated InoqulA instrument (BD Kiestra B.V., The Netherlands) in the automated seeding of liquid specimens and samples collected using swabs with transport medium. We compared manual and automated methods according to the (i) within-run reproducibility using Escherichia coli-calibrated suspensions, (ii) intersample contamination using a series of alternating sterile broths and broths with >10(5) CFU/ml of either E. coli or Proteus mirabilis, (iii) isolation quality with standardized mixed bacterial suspensions of diverse complexity and a 4-category standardized scale (very poor, poor, fair to good, or excellent), and (iv) agreement of the results obtained from 244 clinical specimens. By involving 15 technicians in the latter part of the comparative study, we estimated the variability in the culture quality at the level of the laboratory team. The instrument produced satisfactory reproducibility with no sample cross-contamination, and it performed better than the manual method, with more colony types recovered and isolated (up to 11% and 17%, respectively). Finally, we showed that the instrument did not shorten the seeding time over short periods of work compared to that for the manual method. Altogether, the instrument improved the quality and standardization of the isolation, thereby contributing to a better overall workflow, shortened the time to results, and provided more accurate results for polymicrobial specimens.

SUBMITTER: Froment P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3957760 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Automated versus manual sample inoculations in routine clinical microbiology: a performance evaluation of the fully automated InoqulA instrument.

Froment P P Marchandin H H Vande Perre P P Lamy B B

Journal of clinical microbiology 20131218 3

The process of plate streaking has been automated to improve the culture readings, isolation quality, and workflow of microbiology laboratories. However, instruments have not been well evaluated under routine conditions. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the fully automated InoqulA instrument (BD Kiestra B.V., The Netherlands) in the automated seeding of liquid specimens and samples collected using swabs with transport medium. We compared manual and automated methods according to the (i) w ...[more]

PMID: 24353001

Similar Datasets

Project description:Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by galactosidase alpha (GLA) gene mutations, exhibits diverse clinical manifestations, and poses significant diagnostic challenges. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improved patient outcomes, pressing the need for reliable biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to identify miRNA candidates as potential biomarkers for Fabry disease using the KingFisher™ automated isolation method and NanoString nCounter® miRNA detection assay. Clinical serum samples were collected from both healthy subjects and Fabry disease patients. RNA extraction from the samples was performed using the KingFisher™ automated isolation method with the MagMAX mirVana™ kit or manually using the Qiagen miRNeasy kit. The subsequent NanoString nCounter® miRNA detection assay showed consistent performance and no correlation between RNA input concentration and raw count, ensuring reliable and reproducible results. Interestingly, the detection range and highly differential miRNA between the control and disease groups were found to be distinct depending on the isolation method employed. Nevertheless, enrichment analysis of miRNA-targeting genes consistently revealed significant associations with angiogenesis pathways in both isolation methods. Additionally, our investigation into the impact of enzyme replacement therapy on miRNA expression indicated that some differential miRNAs may be sensitive to treatment. Our study provides valuable insights to identify miRNA biomarkers for Fabry disease. While different isolation methods yielded various detection ranges and highly differential miRNAs, the consistent association with angiogenesis pathways suggests their significance in disease progression. These findings lay the groundwork for further investigations and validation studies, ultimately leading to the development of non-invasive and reliable biomarkers to aid in early diagnosis and treatment monitoring for Fabry disease.

Project description:Intravascular continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may facilitate glycemic control in the intensive care unit (ICU). We compared the accuracy of a CGM device (OptiScanner®) with a standard reference method.Adult patients who had blood glucose (BG) levels >150 mg/dl and required insertion of an arterial and central venous catheter were included. The OptiScanner® was inserted into a multiple-lumen central venous catheter. Patients were treated using a dynamic-scale insulin algorithm to achieve BG values between 80 and 150 mg/dl. The BG values measured by the OptiScanner® were plotted against BG values measured using a reference analyzer. The correlation between the BG values measured using the two methods and the clinical relevance of any differences were assessed using the coefficient of determination (r 2) and the Clarke error grid, respectively; bias was assessed by the mean absolute relative difference (MARD). Three different standards of glucose monitoring were used to assess accuracy. Glycemic control was assessed using the time in range (TIR). Six indices of glycemic variability were calculated.The analysis included 929 paired samples from 88 patients, monitored for a total of 2584 hours. Reference BG values ranged between 60 and 484 mg/dl. The r 2 value was 0.89. The percentage of BG values within zones A and B of the Clarke error grid was 99.9%; the MARD was 7.7%. Using the ISO 15197 standard and Food and Drug Administration and consensus standards, respectively, 80.4% of measurements were within 15 mg/dl and 88.2% within 15% of reference values, 40% of measurements were within 7 mg/dl and 72.5% within 10% of reference values, and 65.2% of measurements were within 10 mg/dl and 82.7% within 12.5% of reference values. The TIR was slightly lower with the OptiScanner® than with the reference method. The J-index, standard deviation and maximal glucose change were the indices of glycemic variability least affected by the measurement device.Based on the MARD, the performance of the OptiScanner® is adequate for use in ICU patients. Because recent standards for accuracy were not met, the OptiScanner® should not be used as a sole monitor. The assessment of glycemic variability is influenced by the time interval between BG determinations.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01720381 . Registered 31 October 2012.

Project description:Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using HEp-2 cells as a substrate is the gold standard for detecting antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in patient serum. However, the ANA IFA has labor-intensive nature of the procedure and lacks adequate standardization. To overcome these drawbacks, the automation has been developed and implemented to the clinical laboratory. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the analytical performance of a fully automated Helios ANA IFA analyzer in a real-life laboratory setting, and to compare the time and the cost of ANA IFA testing before and after adopting the Helios system. A total of 3,276 consecutive serum samples were analyzed for ANA using the Helios system from May to August 2019. The positive/negative results, staining patterns, and endpoint titers were compared between Helios and visual readings. Furthermore, the turnaround time and the number of wells used were compared before and after the introduction of Helios system. Of the 3,276 samples tested, 748 were positive and 2,528 were negative based on visual readings. Using visual reading as the reference standard, the overall relative sensitivity, relative specificity, and concordance of Helios reading were 73.3, 99.4, and 93.4% (κ = 0.80), respectively. For pattern recognition, the overall agreement was 70.1% (298/425) for single patterns, and 72.4% (89/123) for mixed patterns. For titration, there was an agreement of 75.9% (211/278) between automated and classical endpoint titers by regarding within ± one titer difference as acceptable. Helios significantly shortened the median turnaround time from 100.6 to 55.7 h (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, routine use of the system reduced the average number of wells used per test from 4 to 1.5. Helios shows good agreement in distinguishing between positive and negative results. However, it still has limitations in positive/negative discrimination, pattern recognition, and endpoint titer prediction, requiring additional validation of results by human observers. Helios provides significant advantages in routine laboratory ANA IFA work in terms of labor, time, and cost savings. We hope that upgrading and developing softwares with more reliable capabilities will allow automated ANA IFA analyzers to be fully integrated into the routine operations of the clinical laboratory.

Project description:New chest compression detection technology allows for the recording and graphical depiction of clinical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) chest compressions. The authors sought to determine the inter-rater reliability of chest compression pattern classifications by human raters. Agreement with automated chest compression classification was also evaluated by computer analysis.This was an analysis of chest compression patterns from cardiac arrest patients enrolled in the ongoing Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Continuous Chest Compressions Trial. Thirty CPR process files from patients in the trial were selected. Using written guidelines, research coordinators from each of eight participating ROC sites classified each chest compression pattern as 30:2 chest compressions, continuous chest compressions (CCC), or indeterminate. A computer algorithm for automated chest compression classification was also developed for each case. Inter-rater agreement between manual classifications was tested using Fleiss's kappa. The criterion standard was defined as the classification assigned by the majority of manual raters. Agreement between the automated classification and the criterion standard manual classifications was also tested.The majority of the eight raters classified 12 chest compression patterns as 30:2, 12 as CCC, and six as indeterminate. Inter-rater agreement between manual classifications of chest compression patterns was ? = 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49 to 0.74). The automated computer algorithm classified chest compression patterns as 30:2 (n = 15), CCC (n = 12), and indeterminate (n = 3). Agreement between automated and criterion standard manual classifications was ? = 0.84 (95% CI = 0.59 to 0.95).In this study, good inter-rater agreement in the manual classification of CPR chest compression patterns was observed. Automated classification showed strong agreement with human ratings. These observations support the consistency of manual CPR pattern classification as well as the use of automated approaches to chest compression pattern analysis.

Dataset Information

Automated versus manual sample inoculations in routine clinical microbiology: a performance evaluation of the fully automated InoqulA instrument.

Publications

Automated versus manual sample inoculations in routine clinical microbiology: a performance evaluation of the fully automated InoqulA instrument.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure