Performance Comparison of AUTOBIO BC60 and BD BACTEC™ FX Blood Culture Systems for Detecting Microorganisms in Spiked Blood Samples

Authors

  • Patcharee Kammarnjassadakul Faculty of Medical Technology, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University
  • Najawa Rormalee Faculty of Medical Technology, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University
  • Watcharin Rangsipanuratn Faculty of Medical Technology, Huachiew Chalermprakiet University
  • Manop Suttiprapha Medical Technology and Clinical Pathology Department, Samutprakan Hospital
  • Arthit Piyachatchawal Medical Technology and Clinical Pathology Department, Samutprakan Hospital

Keywords:

BD BACTEC™ FX, AUTOBIO BC60, Automated blood culture systems, Blood culture bottles

Abstract

Introduction: Sepsis represents a critical medical condition, therefore the prompt and precise identification of the causative pathogen is essential for effective therapeutic intervention. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of two automated blood culture systems, AUTOBIO BC60 and thereference blood culture system BD BACTEC™ FX, both utilizing CO2 sensor technology for the monitoring of microbial growth. Methods: This study employed a comparative analysis by inoculating blood culture bottles with both reference strains and clinical isolates obtained from patients at Samutprakan Hospital. The parameters evaluated were Time to Positive (TTP) and the Recovery Rate (RR). All microbial identi-fications were further validated using MALDI-TOF MS technology Results: The comprehensive statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in TTP and RR between the two systems (p-value > 0.05). However,
subgroup analysis revealed that the BD BACTEC™ FX system had a significantly shorter TTP for gram-
positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to the AUTOBIO BC60 (p < 0.05). However, the AUTOBIO BC60 system showed a distinct advantage in detecting Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) faster than the reference system. Conversely, it exhibited limitations in supporting the growth of alkaliphilic microorganisms Conclusion: The BD BACTEC™ FX system reveals the rapid detection of major gram-positive and gram-
nega-tive bacterial pathogens, while the AUTOBIO BC60 offers an advantage specifically for C. neoformans but is limitations regarding alkaliphiles. Therefore, careful risk assessment concerning specific microbial groups should be considered.

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Published

2026-05-20

How to Cite

1.
Kammarnjassadakul P, Rormalee N, Rangsipanuratn W, Suttiprapha M, Piyachatchawal A. Performance Comparison of AUTOBIO BC60 and BD BACTEC™ FX Blood Culture Systems for Detecting Microorganisms in Spiked Blood Samples. J Chulabhorn Royal Acad [internet]. 2026 May 20 [cited 2026 May 25];8(3):243-52. available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jcra/article/view/279213

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026): July - September 2026

Section

Research Articles

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