title: Proficiency of PCR in hospital settings for nonculture diagnosis of invasive meningococcal infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meningococcal meningitis requires rapid diagnosis and immediate management which is enhanced by the use of PCR for the ascertainment of these infections. However, its use is still restricted to reference laboratories.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an inter-laboratory study to assess the implementation and the performance of PCR in ten French hospital settings in 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data are in favour of this implementation. Although good performance was obtained in identifying Neisseria meningitidis positive samples, the main issue was reported in identifying other species (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae) which are also involved in bacterial meningitis cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several recommendations are required and, mainly, PCR should target the major etiological agents (N. meningitidis, S. pneumonia, and H. influenzae) of acute bacterial meningitis. Moreover, PCR should predict the most frequent serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis according to local epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: U. P. Infections Bactérienne Invasives - Centre National de Référence des Méningocoques, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Barraud
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bidet
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bingen
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blondiaux
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonacorsi
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burucoa
authors.forename: Amélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrer
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fortineau
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Couetdic
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Courcol
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hery-Arnaud
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lanotte
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Bars
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Legrand-Quillien
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemée
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mereghetti
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Millardet
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minet
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plouzeau-Jayle
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Muhamed-Kheir
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
mesh_terms: D005602:France; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification