Blood and CSF were processed by standard microbiological methods (3 ). S. pneumoniae isolates were identified by colony morphology and α-hemolysis and then confirmed by Gram staining and determination of optochin susceptibility (Oxoid, Basingstoke, UK).
Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were identified by standard microbiological procedures.
Isolates were identified by standard microbiological methods as described in Mackie & McCartney Practical Medical Microbiology [ 31].
Blood culture isolates were identified using standard microbiological procedure and further confirmation was done using commercially available API strips [ 12].
These isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques and their antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion method recommended by the French Society of Microbiology.
P. aeruginosa isolates were identified by standard microbiological techniques (6 ) and further confirmed by Phoenix automated identification and sensitivity systems (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA).
Bacterial isolates were identified by conventional microbiological methods and tested for in vitro susceptibility using the disk diffusion method according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI ) guidelines [ 17] and by automated Vitek 2 system (AST-046 susceptibility cards) (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Étoile, France).
Bacterial isolates were identified using standard microbiological procedures, as growth and colonial characteristics, Gram staining, cellular morphology, catalase and oxidase reactions, coagulase test (Slidex Staph Plus, bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France), haemolysin production.
The isolates were identified based on standard microbiological methods.
Clinical isolates were identified by following general microbiological, staining and biochemical methods.
