Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

2-10-2022

Publication Source

Antibiotics

Abstract

The application of molecular detection methods for bacterial pathogens has dramatically improved the outcomes of septic patients, including those with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Molecular methods can be applied to a variety of clinical specimens including nasal swabs, growth in blood culture bottles, and wounds. While data show that the overall accuracy of molecular tests for MRSA is high, results can be confounded by the presence of multiple staphylococcal species in a specimen, insertions and deletions of DNA in and around the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) element, and point mutations in mecA. Herein, we explore the complexities of molecular approaches to MRSA detection and the instances where phenotypic methods should be pursued to resolve discrepancies between genotypic and phenotypic results.

ISBN/ISSN

ISSN: 2079-6382

Document Version

Published Version

Comments

This document is made available for download in compliance with the publisher’s open-access policy. Permission documentation is on file.

Publisher

MDPI

Volume

11

Issue

2

Keywords

MRSA, MSSA, PCR, mecA, blood culture, methicillin resistance


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