Comparison of the VITEK REVEAL AST and Accelerate Pheno systems for fast antimicrobial susceptibility testing of gram-negative blood cultures at a large academic health system

Previous studies have compared the performance of the VITEK REVEAL, system for fast antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) to conventional, non-rapid microbiology methods. To evaluate how the VITEK REVEAL correlates to similarly available fast, direct-from-blood culture AST technologies, this study aimed to compare it to the Accelerate Pheno system, as standard of care method. High categorical agreement (94.3%) and essential agreement (96.0%) between the two systems were observed, underscoring their reliability. The VITEK REVEAL has the advantage of real-time AST reporting, unlike the Accelerate Pheno. Ultimately, this study supports the need for and continued optimization of fast diagnostic technologies for AST, contributing to the goal of advancing antimicrobial stewardship-focused treatment strategies and improving the prognosis of patients with bloodstream infections.