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Evaluation of Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus on Environmental Surfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Jonathan A. Otter*
Affiliation:
Bioquell (UK), Andover, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Nancy L. Havill
Affiliation:
Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, Connecticut
John M. Boyce
Affiliation:
Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, Connecticut Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
*
Bioquell (UK) Ltd., 34 Walworth Road, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5AA, UK (jon.otter@bioquell.com)

Abstract

We compared real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with in vitro culture for detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in samples from environmental surfaces. The sensitivity of RT-PCR, compared with culture, was 92.5%, and the specificity was 51.4%. Because of poor specificity, the RT-PCR kit tested is not suitable for the detection of MRSA on hospital surfaces.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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