Comparison of the impact of direct plating versus a short or overnight pre-enrichment on detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical specimens

Rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from screening cultures is crucial for effective infection control. While an overnight pre-enrichment (On-En) can increase chances of MRSA detection, time to result is 48 hrs. A short, 4-hour pre-enrichment (Short-En) would enable next day results, however its advantage over direct plating (DP) is not known. We compared the impact of DP to plating after Short-En or ON-En on MRSA detection from screening samples.

Publication year:2009

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