EVALUATION OF THE ATB 32C, AUTOMICROBIC SYSTEM AND API 20C USING CLINICAL YEAST ISOLATES

The ATB 32C (bioMerieux, Spain), AMS-YBC (Vitek System, bioMerieux, Sp ain) and API 20C (bioMerieux, Spain) systems were evaluated for their reliability in identifying 100 clinical yeast isolates. The ATB 32C, A MS-YBC and API 20C systems correctly identified 97%, 98% and 100% of t he isolates respectively. There were no significant differences in inc ubation periods between ATB 32C and AMS-YBC systems. One isolate of Ca ndida tropicalis was wrongly identified by the ATB 32C and the AMS-YBC systems. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolate was wrongly identified by the ATB 32C system while the AMS-YBC failed to identify it and a th ird isolate of Candida krusei was wrongly identified by the ATB 32C sy stem. The overall accuracy and rapidity of the ATB 32C and AMS-YBC sys tems were sufficient to permit recommendation of either of these syste ms for routine use in the clinical microbiology laboratory, although t he first system enjoys the advantages of having a wider data-base and the possibility of manual reading.