COMPARISON OF INOCULATION METHODS FOR TESTING ENTEROCOCCI BY USING VANCOMYCIN SCREENING AGAR

One hundred four recent clinical isolates of Enterococcus species mere screened for vancomycin resistance by using inocula of 10(5) or 10(6) CFU dispensed by pipet and by use of a cotton swab dipped in a 0.5 Mc Farland standard organism suspension applied to the surface of brain h eart infusion agar containing 6 mu g of vancomycin per ml. The three i noculation methods were equivalent in the detection of nonsusceptible isolates. The use of swab inoculation mas convenient and less costly t han the use of micropipets.