Evaluation of the Oxoid Aura image system for measuring zones of inhibition with the disc diffusion technique

In this study the Oxoid Aura image antibiotic sensitivity test system, used as a stand-alone device, was compared with manual zone measurement and use of a template, for the determination of sensitivities. An overall correlat ion coefficient of 0.99 was observed for zone diameters measured using the Aura image system and zones measured manually, when the differences between zones were within 3 mm; 5.4% of zones showed a difference in zone diameter between manual and automated measurement of >3 mm. The results obtained us ing the template method for interpretation were less reliable than zone mea surement, with cefuroxime and ampicillin tested against Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter spp. When linked to a laboratory patient database, the ba r code and disc identification facilities avoided errors that were associat ed with manual data entry.