title: Disk with high oxacillin content discriminates between methicillin-resistant and borderline methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains in disk diffusion assays using a low salt concentration.
abstract: A separation between mecA+ strains of Staphylococcus aureus and strains lacking mecA was achieved by the disk diffusion assay and the agar dilution method, utilizing disks containing 5 microg of oxacillin and inocula of approximately 5 x 10(5) CFU/spot, respectively, provided that agar with 0 to 0.5% NaCl and incubation at 30 degrees C were employed. The 5-microg oxacillin disks clearly discriminated between borderline methicillin-susceptible and mecA+ strains. The oxacillin MICs were more affected by the inoculum density and salt concentration than were the methicillin MICs, and oxacillin MICs of 4 to 16 microg/ml were obtained for strains lacking mecA. Significantly higher levels of beta-lactamase production and reduced oxacillin susceptibilities were recorded for strains lacking mecA, in particular strains of phage group V, when agar with >/=2% NaCl was used than when agar with 0 to 0.5% NaCl was employed. The results indicate that the borderline methicillin-susceptible phenotype is a salt-dependent in vitro phenomenon of questionable clinical relevance.
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000254:growth & development; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development