To compare the sensitivity and specificity of multiplex-PCR with blood culture the authors collected 50 samples from suspected to be sepsis patients. Multiplex-PCR and blood culture were parallelindependent performed at the Dept of Molecular Biology and Dept of Microbiology. The results were analysed by physician. 7/22 sepsis patients were positive with multiplex-PCR, 22/22 positive with PeR universal and 12/22 positive with blood culture. 5/12 pathogens identified by blood culture were not in the target pathogens which were designed for multiplex-PCR. The sensitivity of blood culture was higher than multiplex-PCR (54.5 percent vs 31.8 percent )
However, the specificity of blood culture was lower than multiplex-PCR (67.8 percent vs 85.7 percent ). Thus, multiplex-PCR has sensitivity lower but specificity higher than blood culture.