Real-time polymerase chain reaction with melting analysis of positive blood culture specimens in bloodstream infections: diagnostic value and turnaround time

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a systemic response of the innate immune response to inflammatory microbial and non microbial insults (1, 2, 3) (Castellheim et al., 2009; Zhang et al., 2010; Heffner et al., 2010). SIRS accompanying bloodstream infection (BSI) is referred to as “sepsis syndrome”. The sepsis syndrome manifests along a disease continuum based on the occurrence of sepsis-related organ dysfunction, comprising severe sepsis (sepsis-induced organ dysfunction or tissue hypoperfusion)