title: Comparative evaluation of a commercial test for rapid identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: The performance and ease of use of the recently introduced MRSA screen test (Denka Seiken Co. Ltd., Japan) for the identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated in comparison with the BBL Crystal MRSA ID System (Becton Dickinson Europe, France). A total of 109 strains of S. aureus, consisting of 57 strains of MecA-negative S. aureus and 52 strains of MecA-positive S. aureus, were tested. With MecA PCR as the gold standard, the MRSA screen test had 98% sensitivity and 98% specificity, whereas the BBL Crystal MRSA ID System had 98% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The simplicity of use and rapid result make the MRSA screen test a valuable tool in the clinical microbiology laboratory pending demonstration of the MecA gene that should still always be done.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, The Gade Institute, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. roland.jureen@haukeland.no
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jureen
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bottolfsen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grewal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Digranes
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase