Improving the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections: PCR Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

Jordana-Lluch, Elena; Giménez, Montserrat; Quesada, M. Dolores; Ausina, Vicente; Martró, Elisa

Several molecular methods have been developed for the detection of pathogens (mainly bacteria and some fungi) in whole blood. The first assays developed were designed for the detection of a single pathogen of interest and are reviewed by Klouche and Schröder [10] . A single-pathogen approach is not useful for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections, as these infections may be caused by a broad range of microorganisms. This limitation has been overcome in several commercial assays which are able to detect a number of microorganisms [10] [11] [12] . These assays are based on two main strategies: the identification of a selected group of pathogens using specific targets (i.e., SeptiFast [13] , VYOO [14] , and Magicplex [15] ) or the detection of a broad range of pathogens using universal/conserved targets (i.e., SepsiTest [16] , PCR/ESI-MS [17] ).