Author/Editor		Grmek-Košnik, Irena; Dermota, Urška; Ribič, Helena; Štorman, Alenka; Petrovič, Živa; Žohar Čretnik, Tjaša
Title		Evaluation of single vs pooled swab cultures for detecting MRSA colonization
Type		članek
Publication year		2017
Volume		str. str.
ISSN		0195-6701 - The Journal of hospital infection
Language		eng
Abstract		Background: The costs and laboratory workload arising from meticillin-resistant Staphy- lococcus aureus (MRSA) screening could be reduced markedly by processing nose, throat and skin swabs from one person in a single culture broth (specimen pooling). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivities and times for MRSA detection using a variety of approaches to processing of individual and pooled swabs. Methods: Four hundred and seventeen swabs from 139 subjects with a history of MRSA colonization (three swabs per subject e nose, throat and skin) were submitted. Swabs were suspended in 200- m L sterile saline, and these suspensions were used individually and as pooled samples to inoculate two different chromogenic media [MRSA SMART (bio- M _ erieux, Marcy-l%E % toile, Paris, France) and CHROMagar MRSA (CHROMagar, Paris, France)] and Todd-Hewitt Broth; the latter cultures were then subcultured on to the same chro- mogenic media. Results: MRSA was detected from at least one specimen in 75 subjects (50.4%). The diagnostic sensitivities of pooled surveillance cultures compared with single cultures were 97% and 93% for direct and enrichment cultures, respectively. Enrichment culture of either individual or pooled samples had no benefit compared with direct culture ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Pooling of MRSA screening swabs for either direct culture on chromogenic agar or enrichment culture is suitable for routine use.
Keywords		MRSA pooling detection of colonization MRSA združevanje odkrivanje kolonizacije