Use of multiplex PCR in diagnosis of bloodstream infections in kidney patients

•SeptiFast was compared with the blood culture in a series of 86 kidney patients.•The sensitivity of the SeptiFast compared with the culture was 71%.•The specificity of the SeptiFast compared with the culture was 88%.•All the species identified by culture were in the SeptiFast panel.

The LightCycler® SeptiFast Test (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) was prospectively compared with the standard blood culture technique in a series of 86 kidney patients. The sensitivity of the PCR compared with the culture was 71%, and the specificity was 88%. All the species identified by culture in these patients were in the SeptiFast panel. The median time to results was 1 day for the PCR, 3 days for positive cultures, and 5 days for negative cultures.