A rapid (20 h) solid screening medium for detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Methicillin aztreonam mannitol salt agar is a sensitive and reliable solid screening medium for detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). With this medium an incubation period of only 20 h is sufficient to either produce visible colonies of MRSA or to exclude MRSA (no staphylococcal colonies). Coagulase testing (requiring a further 6 h) enables coagulase-positive isolates to be provisionally reported as 'possible MRSA' 26-30 h after the swabs were collected. The medium supports growth of intrinsically resistant staphylococci including low-expression-class MRSA (methicillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 8-16 mg/L), but methicillin susceptible staphylococci and beta-lactamase hyperproducers are suppressed.
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.
P L
PL
Perry
G W
GW
Coombs
J D
JD
Boehm
J W
JW
Pearman
D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
D003470:Culture Media; D008712:Methicillin