title: Comparison of the Vitek Gram-Positive Susceptibility 106 card and the MRSA-screen latex agglutination test for determining oxacillin resistance in clinical bloodstream isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The Vitek automated susceptibility testing system with a modified Gram-Positive Susceptibility (GPS) 106 Card (bioMerieux Vitek, Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) and a rapid slide latex agglutination test (MRSA-Screen; Denka Seiken Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) were evaluated for their ability to detect oxacillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. The oxacillin-salt agar screen (OS) test, the reference broth microdilution method, and the detection of the mecA gene by PCR were compared with the commercial products. A total of 200 contemporary (1999) bloodstream infection isolates were collected from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, representing diverse geographic areas throughout the world. Among the 99 mecA-positive isolates, 3 isolates were found negative by the MRSA-Screen. Another two isolates did not grow on OS plates and had MICs of 0.5 and 2 microg/ml with the Vitek GPS card. All 101 mecA-negative isolates were also found negative by the MRSA-Screen and were categorized as susceptible by the GPS card. Overall, the MRSA-Screen, GPS card, and OS test had sensitivities of 96.9, 98.0, and 98.0% and specificities of 100.0, 100.0, and 98.0%, respectively. MRSA-Screen was a rapid (</=15 min) and simple test to perform, and the GPS card provided results in <8 h. Both methods were sensitive and specific for detecting staphylococcal oxacillin resistance in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Medical Microbiology Division, Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazumi
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wilke
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Diekema
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pfaller
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D010068:Oxacillin