Evaluation of mannitol salt agar, CHROMagar Staph aureus and CHROMagar MRSA for detection of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from nasal swab specimens

J Med Microbiol. 2007 Jan;56(Pt 1):43-46. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.46777-0.

Abstract

Mannitol salt agar (MSA), CHROMagar Staph aureus (CSA) and CHROMagar MRSA (CSA-MRSA) were evaluated with nasal surveillance specimens for their ability to detect Staphylococcus aureus and meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). CSA was found to be more sensitive than MSA in detecting S. aureus (98 versus 84.3 %; P=0.03). CSA and CSA-MRSA were equivalent in the ability to detect MRSA at 24 h (89.7 versus 87.2 %) and at 48 h (94.9 versus 94.9 %). When combined with Staphaurex slide confirmation testing, both CSA and CSA-MRSA were highly specific (100 %) media for detecting MRSA from nasal swab specimens.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Agar
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Cefoxitin / chemistry
  • Cefoxitin / pharmacology
  • Chromogenic Compounds / chemistry
  • Culture Media / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Mannitol / chemistry
  • Methicillin / chemistry
  • Methicillin / pharmacology
  • Methicillin Resistance*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods
  • Nasal Mucosa / microbiology*
  • Species Specificity
  • Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus / growth & development
  • Staphylococcus / isolation & purification
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus aureus / growth & development
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Chromogenic Compounds
  • Culture Media
  • Mannitol
  • Cefoxitin
  • Agar
  • Methicillin