The First Case of the Identification of a Microorganism Directly from Whole Blood Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry in an Onco-Hematological Pediatric Patient with Bloodstream Infection
Venere Cortazzo,
Maria del Carmen Pereyra Boza,
Vanessa Tuccio Guarna Assanti,
Gianluca Foglietta,
Gianluca Vrenna,
Marilena Agosta,
Elena Chaiter,
Martina Rossitto,
Barbara Lucignano,
Manuela Onori,
Valeria Fox,
Marco Becilli,
Pietro Merli,
Filippo Frioni,
Carlo Federico Perno,
Paola Bernaschi
Affiliations
Venere Cortazzo
Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Maria del Carmen Pereyra Boza
Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Vanessa Tuccio Guarna Assanti
Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Gianluca Foglietta
Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Background: Bloodstream infections affect up to 20% of pediatric cancer patients receiving intensive care, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality, with infection-related mortality rates reported to be as high as 16%. Methods: The identification of microorganisms directly from whole blood is difficult due to several factors, such as interference from host genomic material, low bacterial load, the endogenous components of whole blood and exogenous substances, which can interfere with the identification process. Nevertheless, rapid microbial diagnosis remains of paramount importance in these patients. Results and Conclusion: Here, we present the first case of bacterial pathogen identification directly from whole blood using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in an onco-hematological pediatric patient affected by sepsis and admitted to Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS) in Rome, Italy.
