USE OF GEN-PROBE ACCUPROBES TO IDENTIFY MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM COMPLEX, MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS COMPLEX, MYCOBACTERIUM-KANSASII, AND MYCOBACTERIUM-GORDONAE DIRECTLY FROM BACTEC TB BROTH CULTURES

To evaluate the utility of Gen-Probe AccuProbes for the identification of mycobacteria directly from BACTEC TB 12B vials containing acid-fas t bacilli, culture results for 11,375 clinical specimens other than bl ood received from 1 January 1992 to 30 September 1993 were reviewed re trospectively. During this period, a total of 359 of 11,375 BACTEC via ls were positive for acid-fast bacilli and were evaluated for mycobact eria with one or more probes: 224 were probed for Mycobacterium comple x, 253 were probed for Mycobacterium avium complex, 64 were probed for Mycobacterium kansasii, and 77 were probed for Mycobacterium gordonae . After initial testing with the probes, 75 vials were positive for M. tuberculosis complex, 99 were positive for M. avium complex, 11 were positive for M. kansasii, and 55 were positive for M. gordonae. Repeat testing of vials that were initially probe negative or testing of col onies from subcultures of these vials identified an additional 11 M. t uberculosis, 27 M. avium complex, 1 M. kansasii, and 9 M. gordonae tha t were not detected on initial screening. On the basis of these data, the percentage of organisms identified directly from the BACTEC TB 12B vials upon initial screening with each of the four AccuProbes was 87. 2% for M. tuberculosis complex, 78.6% for M. avium complex, 91.7% for M. kansasii, and 85.9% for M. gordonae.