Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Microbiology 2008-3289 1 4 2009 12 15 9 13 EN Willem B. van Leeuwen Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands AND Toplab, Leiden University of Applied Science, Niels Bohrweg 11-13, Leiden, The Netherlands. N Komen Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands AND Department of Surgery, ZNA Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium. MC Morsink Toplab, Leiden University of Applied Science, Niels Bohrweg 11-13, Leiden, The Netherlands. S Beiboer Toplab, Leiden University of Applied Science, Niels Bohrweg 11-13, Leiden, The Netherlands. A Miggelbrink Toplab, Leiden University of Applied Science, Niels Bohrweg 11-13, Leiden, The Netherlands. P Willemsen Department of Surgery, ZNA Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium. E van der Harst Department of Surgery, Maasstad Ziekenhuis Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. JF Lange Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 2015 10 01 Background and objectives: A semi-quantitative Real-Time PCR strategy was developed to identify indicator organisms for an indication on anastomotic leakage in peritoneal drainage fluid, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: The analytical performance of the amplification method was validated with 10 culture-positive and 7 culture negative peritoneal drain fluid samples, obtained from 9 different patients with a colorectal anastomosis. Results: Real-Time PCR results were fully concordant with the microbiological culture results. However, among the culture negative samples, four false-positive RT-PCR results were found. All false-positives originated from a single patient with a surgical site infection. This may indicate an elevated sensitivity of the RT-PCR method. Conclusion: The results showed that the semi-quantitative RT-PCR method has the clear potential to be useful as a powerful tool in early detection of anastomotic leakage. https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/32 https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/download/32/32