A senior medical director at the North Shore-LIJ Health System was one of the lead investigators into a rapid and accurate method of identifying infectious disease pathogens recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA said last Wednesday it has approved matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which allows for faster treatment thanks to a quicker diagnosis.
“In the battle with infectious diseases, time is a luxury we don’t have,” said Christine Ginocchio, senior medical director and chief of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at North Shore-LIJ. “MALDI-TOF will have one of the greatest impacts on clinical microbiology in that it will revolutionize how we approach traditional microbial identification. With this technology, combined with rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing, we can now provide diagnosis and treatment options within a time frame that will reduce morbidity and mortality.”
Mass spectrometry is a technique used to identify a molecule and determine its chemical structure by analyzing the mass and the charge of its ions. MALDI-TOF MS determines the elemental composition of a sample and can identify a microorganism’s genus and species in just a few minutes. Prior to the technology of MALDI-TOF MS, identification of a microorganism to the species level typically could take up to 24 hours or more. By diagnosing an infection faster, clinicians can treat it faster and select the best possible anti-microbial drug.
“The rapid identification of microorganisms or germs will have a positive impact on patient management, promote the appropriate use of antimicrobial therapy, compliment antimicrobial stewardship programs and assure the prompt initiation of infection control measures,” Ginocchio said.
