title: Comparison of medium, temperature, and length of incubation for detection of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
abstract: Campylobacter (Campy; BD Diagnostics, Sparks, MD), Spectra VRE (Remel, Lenexa, KS), and bile-esculin-azide-vancomycin (BEAV; Remel) agars were compared for their ability to detect vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in 750 stool specimens. The media were compared at 24 h and 48 h of incubation at 35°C and 42°C. When incubated for 24 h at 35°C, Campy was the most sensitive (97.8%) and specific (99.9%) but was comparable to Spectra, which has a sensitivity of 95.6% and a specificity of 99.1%, whereas BEAV was significantly less sensitive (90%) and specific (96.1%). Incubation at 42°C or extended incubation at 35°C for 48 h yielded no advantage over incubation at 35°C for 24 h.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, Orange, California, USA.
authors.forename: Trang D Hua
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Kaye D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Rosalinda A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Grace L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ellena M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media