[Use of mass spectrometry for rapid diagnosis of positive blood cultures: Validation of a local algorythm].

Mass spectrometry (MS) is used in identification of positive blood culture, a contribution in the clinical management of septic patients. The protocol is labor intensive and disrupts the normal workflow in a clinical laboratory. We intended to make rapid diagnosis by using MS directly from shortly incubated blood agar plates (4 to 6 hours) comparing with results of the conventional method (MC).