Use of Xpert® MRSA PCR point-of-care testing beyond the laboratory

B J Parcell; G Phillips

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2014.04.002

Use of Xpert® MRSA PCR point-of-care testing beyond the laboratory

J Hosp Infect. 2014 Jun;87(2):119-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2014.04.002. Epub 2014 Apr 18.

Authors

B J Parcell¹, G Phillips²

Affiliations

¹ Medical Microbiology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Medical Microbiology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.

PMID: 24836293
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2014.04.002

Abstract

A meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) polymerase chain reaction assay (Xpert(®) MRSA, Cepheid) was assessed for point-of-care testing (POCT) used by healthcare assistants in an orthopaedic pre-admission clinic and on a vascular ward to reduce turnaround time. POCT results were compared with the routine swabs taken for culture. The POCT assay was easy to use, the turnaround time for negative results was greatly reduced, and sensitivity was 75.0% in the pre-admission clinic and 80.0% in the vascular ward. There were 27 POCT-positive/culture-negative results, but there was no evidence of MRSA infection or colonization in these patients for at least a year post procedure. POCT for MRSA colonization performed beyond the laboratory has important advantages over laboratory-based methods and should be explored further.

Keywords: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Point-of-care testing; Polymerase chain reaction.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Humans
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification*
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
Point-of-Care Systems*
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
Prospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis*
Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology