Case Study: Applying Rapid Flow Cytometry Analysis to CAPD Effluent

Abstract

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis cases require rapid clinical interventions to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. Culture-dependent microbiology tools are slow and cannot provide clinicians with evidence to guide antimicrobial prescription practices in an appropriate time frame. Genotypic methods have met with limited success for analyzing continuous ambulatory PD effluent, with most centers still relying on culture-dependent microbiology. We present a case study in which we apply flow cytometry techniques to antibiotic-compromised effluent. We demonstrate, with supporting evidence, direct enumeration of bacterial and human immune cells, with results reported within 2 hours of receiving the clinical specimen.

Current and Future Flow Cytometry Applications Contributing to Antimicrobial Resistance Control

“…To improve diagnosis and patient outcomes, there is an urgent need for preliminary data on bacterial pathogens to guide antimicrobial prescription practices in an appropriate time frame. A case report showed that the FCM technique was able to detect and quantify bacterial load within 2 h of receiving the clinical specimen [ 72 ]. Moreover, the FCM method has demonstrated a strong positive correlation with culture-dependent methods, thus being useful for common peritoneal dialysis pathogens across a range of relevant antimicrobials [ 73 ].…”