EUROPEAN MULTICENTER EVALUATION OF A COMMERCIAL SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS

A commercial system for the rapid detection of methicillin-resistant S taphylococcus aureus, the BBL Crystal MRSA test (C-MRSA ID; Becton Dic kinson, USA), was evaluated prospectively and compared with a polymera se chain reaction test for the presence of the mecA gene. Ten European centres tested a total of 676 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from blood cultures. The system correctly identified 661 (97.8%) isolates w ithin 4 h. All but three mecA gene-negative isolates (99.4% specificit y) yielded a negative C-MRSA ID reaction, and 158 of 170 mecA gene-pos itive isolates were accurately detected (92.9% sensitivity). After rep eated testing of discrepant results, sensitivity and specificity incre ased to 99% and 100%, respectively.