Evaluation of an automated analytical system for rapid screening of lower respiratory tract infections

Respiratory tract infections are relevant causes of morbidity and mortality. It has been demonstrated that an appropriate initial antimicrobial regimen, or its early modification based on microbiological results, leads to a higher survival rate. Automation in microbiology is of utmost importance in obtaining results in a shorter time, allowing an appropriate antimicrobial regimen to be started promptly. Uro4 HB&L is an automated tool that uses light scattering technology to detect the growth of bacteria. The system is largely diffused for bacteriuria screening and the residual antimicrobial activity test (RAA) in urinary samples. In this study, the application of the Uro4 HB&L system for the automation of respiratory samples analysis was tested to evaluate the concordance with the standard culture methods. Results of this study suggest that Uro4 HB&L can be able to speed up the laboratory procedures and grant reliable presumptive results for the clinician in very short time.