Identification and Detection of Enterococci using Conventional methods and its comparison with commercial system MicroScan (Autoscan4).

Background:-e frequency of antimicrobial resistant Enterococci is increasing, making accurate identification and antimicrobial susceptibility important. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using conventional and automated technique both are commonly used throughout the country. Comparison studies of both are available for Enterobacteriaceae etc but for Enterococci such study are few. Hence a comparison in our settings was needed. Aim:- To find out the commonest species of Enterococci and comparison of its antibiogram profile obtained by commericial system Microscan (Autoscan -4) using positive combo panel 20.Material and Methods:- A total of, 120 Enterococcal isolates obtained over a one year period were studied. ey were evaluated, using conventional and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. ese isolates were mainly from urine 91 (76%) and remaining from blood 29 (24%). Isolates were identified using conventional identification method first and then the same isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test by both the methods simultaneously. A comparison of identification and the antibiogram obtained by both the methods was done. Result:- e most common findings in our clinical settings by both the methods was E.faecalis 66(55%), E.faecium 32 (26.67%), E.raffinosus 9 (7.5%), E. avium 7 (5.83%) & E.pallens 6 (5%). e most common susceptible antibiotics were Ampicillin (72%),Penicillin G (58%), Linezolid (39%) , Tetracycline ( 21% ) Norfloxacin( 10%). Conclusion: - In Our study we found that the susceptibility pattern is same for both Microscan and Kirby Beaur's disc diffusion method but in MicroScan few database for antimicrobial agents is not available.