title: Performance of two tube coagulase methods for rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus from blood cultures and their impact on antimicrobial management.
abstract: Test parameters and clinical impact of the direct tube coagulase test (DTCT) for rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus from blood culture were investigated. The sensitivity of the DTCT at 4 h using saline dilution was 96%, compared with 93% using serum separator tubes; specificity was 100% for both methods. Among 32 patients with S. aureus bacteraemia, treatment modifications were based on microbiology results from the primary source of infection in 12 patients, on a Gram's stain from blood culture in seven patients, and on the DTCT in nine patients. The DTCT is a valuable adjunct in the routine microbiology laboratory because of its good performance, technical simplicity and low cost.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Univrsity Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. P.Sturm@mmb.umcn.nl
authors.forename: P D J
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kwa
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: C J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schülin
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003030:Coagulase; D006801:Humans; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D003030:Coagulase