Rapid pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in in vitro endophthalmitis with matrix assisted laser desorption-ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and VITEK 2 without prior culture

摘要： Prompt clinical diagnosis and initiation of treatment are critical in the management of infectious endophthalmitis. Current methods used to identify causative agents of infectious endophthalmitis are mostly inefficient, owing to suboptimal sensitivity, length, and cost. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can be used to rapidly identity pathogens without a need for culture. Similarly, automated antimicrobial susceptibility test systems (AST, VITEK 2) provide accurate antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. In this proof-of-concept study, we apply these technologies for the direct identification and characterization of pathogens in vitreous samples, without culture, as an in vitro model of infectious endophthalmitis.