ECU Health Microbiology Lab Launches bioMerieux Analyzer

The technology detects efficient antibiotics for bloodstream infections around 24 hours faster than standard technology. 

ECU Health Medical Center is the fifth institution in the US to begin using the bioMérieux VITEK REVEAL analyzer, a quick blood culture testing device that supports providers in identifying efficient antibiotics for some bloodstream infections around 24 hours sooner than standard processes.

The device, which the hospital applied in July, is intended to allow rapid treatment, enhance patient care, and lower broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance, according to a press release from ECU Health. The analyzer works directly from a blood culture sample that tests positive for specific types of bacteria to detect which antibiotics are most efficient for treatment.

“We know that seconds count when it comes to treating disease, and the Vitek Reveal analyzer is an innovative tool to focus therapy for patients right here in eastern North Carolina,” says Brooks Mitchell, PhD, interim director of microbiology at ECU Health Medical Center, in a release.

Providers equipped with this data are more likely to create precise management decisions with fewer challenges of a patient advancing resistance that can slow recovery, according to the release. The healthcare center applies the technology to identify particular microbes that cause sepsis, which enables providers to escalate care and lead to shorter hospital stays.

The capability to select the suitable antibiotic to manage specific microbes means patients are less likely to develop resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics, which maintains the effectiveness of medications in treating microbial disease, based on the release. Physicians continue to consider patient-specific factors, like allergies or other side effects, to identify the best treatment options.

The launch of the analyzer was a collaborative effort among the microbiology lab and the infectious disease pharmacy at ECU Health Medical Center. The devices were used alongside existing diagnostic equipment to increase efficiency.

“Having the right tool for the job is important, but it matters more when those tools are in the hands of skilled professionals,” says Jay Briley, president of ECU Health Medical Center, in a release.

According to Towards Healthcare, the rapid microbial testing market is projected to experience significant growth, with estimates suggesting the market size will increase from USD 6.36 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 15.04 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 10.04% from 2026 to 2035. Major rapid microbiological process technologies offer more sensitive, accurate, exact, and reproducible test outputs as compared with conventional, growth-driven processes. Additionally, they are fully automated, provide amplified sample throughput, operate in a continuous information-collecting mode, offer significantly lower time-to-result, and, for some RMM platforms, provide outputs in real-time. This supports reducing manufacturing downtime and increasing efficiency. Rapid Microbiological Methods (RMMs) allow proactive strategies to be taken in instances of microbial contamination, particularly in relation to out-of-specification output.

About ECU Health

ECU Health (formerly Vidant Health) is a not-for-profit, 1,447-bed hospital technology which serves more than 1.4 million people in 29 Eastern North Carolina counties. The health system is made up of nine hospitals and more than 12,000 employees. ECU Health involves wellness centers, home health and hospice solutions, an intended children's hospital, rehab facilities, pain management and wound healing centers, and specialized cancer care. Their flagship hospital, ECU Health Medical Center, is a level I trauma center and serves as the education hospital for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville. Its smaller, community-driven hospitals serve as patient feeders to the flagship hospital.

A recent report by Towards Healthcare highlights that the rapid microbial testing market is growing, as rapid microbial testing solutions have evolved as significant tools for enhancing food safety monitoring and avoiding contaminated products from reaching customers. The application of rapid microbial testing processes provides significant advantages for food safety management. Rapid identification allows food manufacturers to detect contamination challenges early, letting prompt corrective actions before products enter the marketplace. This lowers the likelihood of expensive product recalls, protects brand reputation, and improves consumer confidence. Rapid microbial testing processes have altered food safety monitoring by allowing rapid, more sensitive, and more precise identification of microbial hazards. Rapid methods are applied for a broad range of uses. Several organizations within the pharmaceutical company have applied RMMs as substitute processes to conventional microbiological tests for the following assays: end product, in-process and raw material bioburden analyses, sterility testing, environmental monitoring, healthcare grade water testing, endotoxin analysis, microbial identification, and the detection of Mycoplasma.