title: Clinical impact of a PCR assay for identification of Staphylococcus aureus and determination of methicillin resistance directly from blood cultures.
abstract: We evaluated the clinical usefulness of a PCR assay that discriminates Staphylococcus aureus from coagulase-negative staphylococci and detects methicillin resistance on blood cultures by measuring the adaptation of antimicrobial therapy based on the PCR results. Only 7 of 28 patients (25%) benefited from a modification of antibiotic therapy based on the PCR results, since empirical therapy was appropriate in a majority of cases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. mahallin@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Byl
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: De Gheldre
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Struelens
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014640:Vancomycin; D010068:Oxacillin