title: Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and methicillin resistance by real-time PCR in whole blood samples.
abstract: We prospectively evaluated a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach for the rapid diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and presence of the mecA gene in 902 blood samples from 468 infectious episodes of 384 patients. Eight of 12 blood culture (BC)-confirmed samples were positive by the S. aureus-specific PCR. In addition, the mecA gene PCR correctly detected all cases of BC-confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. A positive PCR result was also obtained in ten of 462 BC-negative infectious episodes, including three patients with culture-confirmed S. aureus infection at other body sites.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. nele.wellinghausen@labor-gaertner.de
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wellinghausen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus