Rapid microbiology Staphylococcus aureus

Chapin, K., and M. Musgnug. Evaluation of Three Rapid Methods for the Direct Identification of Staphylococcus aureus from Positive Blood Cultures. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 41 no. 9 (2003) 4324-4327. 

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections. It is directly responsible for about 1,000 deaths per annum in the UK, is a contributory factor in many more, and imposes a considerable financial burden on health services. Standard microbiological methods take from 2-4 days to determine the presence of MRSA in clinical samples. This limits the value of testing to the monitoring of infection trends rather than in the provision of information to aid in the treatment of patients. A rapid test could be used both to guide the prescription of antibiotics and to identify patients carrying MRSA as a tool in infection control. 

HaU, T.A., Sampath, R., Blyn, L.B., Ranken, R., Ivy, C., Melton, R., Matthews, H., White, N., Li, E, Harpin, V., Ecker, D.J., McDougal, L.K., Limbago, B., Ross, T., Wolk, D.M., Wysocki, V, CarroU, K.C. (2009) Rapid molecular genotyping and clonal complex assignment of Staphylococcus aureus isolates by PCR coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 47,1733-1741. 

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