BD BACTEC FX40 Blood Culture Instrument Now Communicates with the BD EpiCenter Data Management System

BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, has announced its launch of the BD BACTEC FX40 Blood Culture System with connectivity to the BD EpiCenter Microbiology Data Management System. This communication enables access to advanced reporting capabilities, connectivity to the hospital's Laboratory Information System (LIS) and access to the unique BD Blood Volume Monitoring Software.

Introduced in August 2013, the BD BACTEC FX40 Blood Culture System offers low-volume clinical laboratories the same state-of-the-art workflow and performance of the BD BACTEC FX blood culture system, with BD's exclusive vial-activated workflow. Communication with the BDEpiCenter Data Management System also provides access to the unique BD BACTEC Blood Volume Monitoring Software. This software offers automatic measurement and reporting of blood volume averages in BD BACTEC Plus Aerobic/F media bottles for patient populations. The ability to automatically track blood volumes gives laboratory professionals the confidence and ability to provide quality blood culture testing while improving their effectiveness in detecting bacteria, yeast and fungi in blood. A variety of reports can be generated to track, display and communicate average blood volumes collected from across the hospital or by a specific phlebotomist.

"We're pleased to be able to offer laboratories the convenience of a lower-volume blood culture instrument, with all of the advantages of full integration with the LIS," said Alberto Mas, President, BD Diagnostics Diagnostic Systems. "BD is committed to providing laboratory professionals with solutions that enable them to follow industry-recommended blood specimen collection best practices, including monitoring and providing feedback on collected blood volumes, and by providing a steady supply of product."

The volume of blood collected is the single most important factor affecting organism recovery in blood cultures.1 In fact, in adult blood culture specimens, recovery increases by approximately three percent for each additional milliliter of blood obtained.2 As a result, commonly accepted best practices, such as those outlined in the CLSI guidelines, call for 20 to 30 mL of blood collected per venipuncture or set, two to three sets per episode.3 Additionally, laboratory accreditation agencies, such as the College of American Pathologists, require that laboratories periodically monitor collected blood volumes and provide feedback to clinical staff.4

The BD BACTEC Blood Culture System is a fully automated microbiology growth and detection system designed to detect microbial growth from blood specimens. The BD BACTEC FX40 Instrument with connectivity to the BD EpiCenter Data Management System represents one of several new advancements in the blood culture arena for BD Diagnostics, a leader in blood culture solutions for more than 25 years. The BACTEC FX and the BD BACTEC 9000 families of continuous monitoring blood culturing instruments offer performance, safety, reliability, ease of use, media quality and service to meet the needs of today's top clinical laboratories.