title: Impact of results of a rapid Staphylococcus aureus diagnostic test on prescribing of antibiotics for patients with clustered gram-positive cocci in blood cultures.
abstract: In tropical northern Australia, approximately 20% of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We prospectively evaluated the impact on clinician antibiotic prescribing of the results obtained from performing the GeneXpert MRSA/SA test on 151 positive blood cultures with clustered gram-positive cocci. The GeneXpert result led to earlier appropriate prescription of vancomycin for 54% of patients with MRSA; 25% of patients avoided vancomycin, and 16% of patients had all antibiotics ceased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Australia. Joshua.Davis@menzies.edu.au
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Claire L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Steven Y C
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: Joshua S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001315:Australia; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents