The slide latex agglutination test, MRSA-Screen, was compared with the mecA
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and traditional susceptibility test method
s for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and
coagulase-negative staphylococci. The MRSA-Screen test detected the same nu
mber of methicillin-resistant S. aureus as the mecA PCR and the traditional
susceptibility tests. It correctly identified all 21 methicillin-susceptib
le S. aureus as being sensitive. It also produced the same result as the me
cA PCR in identifying a methicillin-resistant S. aureus among six isolates
classified as borderline resistant by traditional susceptibility tests. The
MRSA-Screen test and mecA PCR detected methicillin resistance in 10 and 15
of 17 methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, respectively
. From these results, it is concluded that the MRSA-Screen is a very accura
te, reliable and rapid method of detecting methicillin resistance in S. aur
eus and is suitable for use in clinical microbiology laboratories. Further
study of its use in detecting methicillin resistance in coagulase-negative
staphylococci is required. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and International
Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.