Effectiveness ofResins inRemoving Antibiotics from BloodCultures

Bacterial growth canbesuppressed orslowedinvials containing bloodcultures that wereinoculated withblood samples frompatients receiving antibiotics. Anionic and cationic resins havebeenproposed andincorporated into vials containing bloodcultures toremoveantibiotics and therefore toenhance therecovery ofbacteria (2, 3,6,8-11). Forinstance, Lindsey andRiely (6) measured theremoval of 13antibiotics and3antibiotic combinations bytheAntimicrobial RemovalDevice(ARD)(Marion Scientific, Kansas City, Mo.). Theyconcluded thattheARD removed antibiotics suchasbeta-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracycline, andsulfamethoxazole. Thepresence ofresins didnotinterfere withbacterial growth. Inaprevious study, wereported thatBACTEC NR-16Aresin-containing mediumrecovered significantly morebacteria thandidBACTEC NR-6Anonresin-containing medium(2). Moreover, themeandetection timewasshorter withaerobic resin-containing medium. However, weemphasized theneedtochecktheremoval of eachnewantimicrobial agent withvials containing medium andresins. Since this report, several antibiotics havebeen marketed androutinely usedinpractice. Thepresent study evaluates theeffectiveness ofBACTECNR-26Aresin-containing medium(Becton-Dickinson