MRSA Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about MRSA, including details on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Comparison of Two Versions of the IDI-MRSA Assay Using Charcoal Swabs for Prospective Nasal and Nonnasal Surveillance Samples.

Zhang SX, Drews SJ, Tomassi J, Katz KC

Department of Laboratory Medicine, North York General Hospital, 4001 Leslie St., Suite GW-33, Toronto M2K1E1, Canada. kkatz@nygh.on.ca.

An updated IDI-MRSA assay version was released to address the assay's low positive predictive value (PPV). A prospective analysis of two assay versions indicated no significant improvement in the PPV. Colonization by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 24% of patients would not have been detected if only nasal samples had been tested, as approved, by this molecular method.

Published 6 July 2007 in J Clin Microbiol, 45(7): 2278-80.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 MRSA Research Today. All Rights Reserved.