Objective: Early identification of pathogens is crucial to decrease mortality in patients with sepsis. Detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens in blood by nucleic acid amplification techniques yields faster results than blood cultures. In this study we analyzed the diagnostic value of a commercially available multiplex polymerase chain reaction system (SeptiFast) in patients with suspect sepsis. SeptiFast assay results were compared with corresponding blood culture results.

Material and Method: Blood samples collected from patients with suspect sepsis at a tertiary care hospital were cultured with BACTEC 9240TM system and analysed with LightCycler® SeptiFast assay.

Results: Of 252 blood samples from 126 patients, the rate of concordance between LightCycler® Septifast Assay and blood culture was 85.7%. The rate of positivity was higher in LightCycler® Septifast Assay than blood culture (19.8% vs 11.9%; p<0.001).

Conclusion: The performance of Septifast multiplex polymerase chain reaction together with conventional blood cultures especially in critically ill patients has a relevant impact on the detection of greater number of pathogens and faster identification of the causative agent.