Detection of carbapenemase activity directly from blood culture vials using MALDI-TOF MS: a quick answer for the right decision.

Objectives: Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was successfully applied for the detection of carbapenemase activity directly from Gram-negative colonies. Based on this principle, we evaluated the performance of MALDI-TOF MS for rapid detection of carbapenemase activity directly from positive blood culture vials.

Methods: A total of 100 blood culture vials were randomly selected.