title: Comparison of polymerase chain reaction and conventional methods in detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accurate and rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is very important in a clinical laboratory setting to avoid treatment failure. Conventional methods were compared against the gold standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to determine the best combination of the routine procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Methicillin resistance was investigated in 416 clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates by PCR, oxacillin agar screening (OAS), oxacillin disk diffusion (ODD) and cefoxitin disk diffusion (CDD) methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and ten (51%) out of 416 S. aureus strains were found to be mecA-positive by PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of the ODD, CDD and OAS methods were detected as follows: 100% and 89%, 99.50% and 100%, and 99.50% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combining the ODD and CDD methods could be a good choice for detecting methicillin resistance in S. aureus strains where mecA PCR cannot be performed.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Riza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adaleti
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakipoglu
authors.forename: Zeynep Ceren
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.forename: Cihan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tasdemir
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kaya
mesh_terms: D002440:Cefoxitin; D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010068:Oxacillin; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D002440:Cefoxitin; D010068:Oxacillin