Abstract
The aim of the study presented here was to evaluate an enrichment broth-enhanced commercial PCR procedure for excluding the presence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patient samples in less than 36 h. In The Netherlands to date, all MRSA epidemics have been successfully controlled with the Dutch search-and-destroy policy. However, PCR facilitates more rapid screening for MRSA than traditional culture. One commercial PCR option is the hyplex StaphyloResist® PCR assay (Biologische Analysensystem GmbH, Lich, Germany), which detects Staphylococcus aureus and the mecA gene in MRSA as well as in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). This assay was used to test a total of 939 specimens obtained from 346 individuals. Following resolution of all discrepancies, the prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for all separate specimens were 9.0, 97.6, 83.7, 37.4 and 99.7%, respectively, and for specimens grouped according to daily episode submitted per individual, they were 7.5, 97.4, 77.2, 26.2 and 99.7%, respectively. These results led to the introduction of this PCR into the hospital laboratory’s routine for the purpose outlined above.
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Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the assistance of their hospital’s infection control practitioners in collecting specimens and background data, Mrs. K. Hofman and Mrs. S. Costongs for secretarial assistance, and the medical microbiology technicians for performing bacteriological assays.
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Wagenvoort, J.H.T., van de Cruijs, M.F.H.A., Meuwissen, C.T.M. et al. Comparison of an enrichment broth-enhanced commercial PCR procedure versus bacteriological culture for separating non-colonized from suspected or colonized MRSA individuals. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 26, 155–160 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-007-0269-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-007-0269-5