Sonication improved the sensitivity of the MALDI - TOF MS for bacterial identification from direct urine samples

One of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients is urinary tract infection (UTI). Rapid UTI diagnosis is essential to avoid delay in cancer treatment. Overnight urine culture is required for bacterial identification using MALDI-TOF MS. To shorten the turnaround time, studies are investigating the possibility of using direct urine samples for MALDI-TOF MS. Herein, this study proposed that the low-frequency sonication treatment could be used to improve the sensitivity of the MALDI-TOF MS for bacterial identification from direct urine samples.