Apollo installs first automated microbial identification system in India
MALDI-TOF-VITEK MS rapidly identifies disease-causing micro-organisms
Apollo Hospitals Group in New Delhi, India has installed the first bioMerieux MALDI-TOF-VITEK MS system in India. This automated microbial identification system detects disease-causing micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi so that correct diagnosis and early treatment is achieved.
Dr Raman Sardana, senior consultant (Microbiology) and additional director, Medical Services at Apollo Hospitals Group, said: “Over the past decade, new technologies and automated solutions have greatly reduced the amount of time it takes to provide doctors with actionable results in managing infection. The rapid identification of micro-organisms has been shown to help guide patient treatment and improve clinical outcomes. Waiting several days for a definitive identification of the pathogen provides an obstacle to the clinician seeking to target therapy with the most effective treatment. This is where technologies such as MALDI-TOF-VITEK MS are helpful with their accuracy and specificity.”
The rapid identification of micro-organisms has been shown to help guide patient treatment and improve clinical outcomes
With the help of MALDI-TOF-VITEK MS, the type of infection or infections present can be speedily determined, allowing doctors more specifically to target their therapies with the right antimicrobial at the right dosage. This plays an important role in preventing and slowing the emergence of resistant bacteria and fungi. In the coming months identification of all microbes including virus could be a possibility.
MALDI-TOF-VITEK MS is based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which is said to be one of the latest and most promising technologies, producing results in a few minutes rather than days, as currently happens.
Apollo Hospitals Group is one of Asia's largest integrated healthcare organisations with more than 8,500 beds across 50 hospitals, more than 1,350 pharmacies and in excess of 100 diagnostic clinics. The Group also offers medical business process outsourcing services, health insurance services and clinical research divisions with a focus on epidemiological studies, stem cell research and genetic research.