%0 Journal Article
%T Comparison of polymerase chain reaction and conventional methods in detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
%A Riza Adaleti
%A 1 Yasar Nakipoglu
%A 2 Zeynep Ceren Karahan
%A 3 Cihan Tasdemir
%A 1 Fatma Kaya.1
%J Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
%D 2008
%I Open Learning on Enteric Pathogens
%X 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.Methodology: 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.Conclusion: 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.
%K Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
%K polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
%K oxacillin disk diffusion
%K cefoxitin disk diffusion
%K oxacillin agar screening.
%U http://www.oloep.org/jidc/content.asp?id=1165