Table 1. Turnaround time (TAT)* for microbial identification**.

	MALDI-TOF		Conventional microbiology		Reduction of mean TAT
	Mean	Min- Max	Mean	Min- Max
Gram-positive and Gram-negative	11.12***	2.0‒27	28.62	18.0‒60.0	17.5
Gram-positive only	13.41	2.0‒27.0	27.88	20.0‒55.0	14.47
Gram-negative only	5.36	2.0‒20.0	28.55	18.0‒60.0	23.19

*TAT = turnaround time. **Over a 6 wk period, 150 blood samples at University Hospital Limerick, Ireland. ***All values are in hours