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Diagnostic accuracy

Rapid gram-positive blood culture ID

Buchan BW, Ginocchio CC, Manii R, et al. · PLoS medicine · 2013

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

A microarray panel identified Staphylococcus from positive blood cultures with ~99% sensitivity and specificity versus culture.

Study at a glance

Design
Other — Prospective diagnostic accuracy study of automated microarray panel vs reference culture
N
N=1157 · 1,157 prospectively collected monomicrobial positive blood cultures
Population
Monomicrobial positive blood cultures
Outcome
Sensitivity and specificity for gram-positive organisms and resistance markers

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Key findings

Among 1,157 monomicrobial cultures, Staphylococcus genus sensitivity was 99.4% and specificity 99.7%; staphylococci dominated the culture set.

Methodology

Prospective monomicrobial positive blood cultures were tested with an automated microarray nucleic-acid panel for gram-positive organisms and resistance markers against reference culture.

Limitations

Performance varies by organism/target; this evaluates assay accuracy, not downstream mortality benefit of faster reporting.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsDiagnostic Accuracyconcept

    A multiplex assay can identify Staphylococcus from blood cultures with very high accuracy.

    A multiplex molecular assay on monomicrobial blood cultures identified Staphylococcus at genus level with sensitivity about 99.4% and specificity about 99.7% in a large evaluated set.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • An automated microarray panel for gram-positive organisms and resistance markers on 1,157 monomicrobial positive blood cultures reached Staphylococcus genus sensitivity 99.4% and specificity 99.7% versus reference culture. Assay accuracy is not a mortality benefit of faster reporting, and performance varies by organism and target.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • The five papers are tuned to different prevalences and harms of error, so a 'good' sensitivity/specificity pair is not portable. CA125's 77%/93.8% at 0.9% incidence yields PPV 10.1% — a primary-care rare-disease problem. StEP's 95%/93% pinprick figures come from specialist clinics where neuropathic pain is common. FibriCheck's 95.6%/96.6% is versus ECG after dropping poor signals. Blood-culture 99.4%/99.7% is laboratory identification, not community screening. Frailty's 99.1% specificity describes a ~1.1% trajectory class, not a test you run on everyone.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Open questions

Tensions this paper is part of

From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.

History

When this study was placed

Dated entries from the concept change log — when this paper was added or removed as support, challenge, or qualifier on a claim.

  1. 2026-09-14

    Removed as supporting evidence on Diagnostic Accuracy

    Smartphone photoplethysmography detected atrial fibrillation with sensitivity about 95.6% and specificity about 96.6% versus ECG in an analysed clinic sample (adequate signal required; pacing excluded).

  2. 2026-09-14

    Placed as supporting evidence on Diagnostic Accuracy

    A multiplex molecular assay on monomicrobial blood cultures identified Staphylococcus at genus level with sensitivity about 99.4% and specificity about 99.7% in a large evaluated set.

  3. 2026-09-14

    Removed as supporting evidence on Diagnostic Accuracy

    Point-of-care classification accuracy (AF, blood culture ID, sickle cell, pain subtype) is not the same claim as low-prevalence screening PPV or long-horizon prognostic discrimination. Mixing sensitivities with hazards or PPVs invents a false head-to-head.

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