title: Use of BBL CHROMagar MRSA medium for identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus directly from blood cultures.
abstract: We evaluated the ability of BBL CHROMagar MRSA medium (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD) to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) directly upon subculture from positive blood culture bottles. There were 124 MRSA isolates recovered from blood cultures in the study. BBL CHROMagar MRSA medium was highly sensitive (97.6% [121/124] at 18 to 24 h of incubation and 100% [124/124] at 48 h) and 99.9% specific for identifying MRSA from positive blood cultures.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 4th Floor, Gates Building, 3400 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wadlin
authors.forename: Irving
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nachamkin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D008712:Methicillin