Clinical impact of a PCR assay for identification of Staphylococcus aureus and determination of methicillin resistance directly from blood cultures.
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.
Hallin
M
M
Laboratory of Microbiology, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. mahallin@ulb.ac.be
Maes
N
N
Byl
B
B
Jacobs
F
F
De Gheldre
Y
Y
Struelens
M J
MJ
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
D014640:Vancomycin; D010068:Oxacillin