Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections affect up to 20% of pediatric cancer patients receiving intensive care, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality, with infection-related mortality rates reported to be as high as 16%. METHODS: The identification of microorganisms directly from whole blood is difficult due to several factors, such as interference from host genomic material, low bacterial load, the endogenous components of whole blood and exogenous substances, which can interfere with the identification process. Nevertheless, rapid microbial diagnosis remains of paramount importance in these patients. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Here, we present the first case of bacterial pathogen identification directly from whole blood using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in an onco-hematological pediatric patient affected by sepsis and admitted to Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IRCCS) in Rome, Italy.