The elevation in risk of infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization necessitates the use of precise detection methods which can significantly impact postoperative outcomes and extend a patient’s hospital stay. Utilizing conventional culture methods for MRSA detection has proven to be restrictive due to sensitivity issues and slower processing time. Consequently, a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan opted to use the Xpert PCR kit for MRSA detection from April to December 2022.
During this period, 290 nasal and skin swab samples were gathered from 257 patients and examined using both the conventional culture method and the Xpert PCR-based approach for MRSA detection. Among the studied population, the MRSA colonization exhibited a 12% prevalence rate through both methods. Notably, 90% of the detected cases were classified as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), while the remainder were hospital-acquired (HA-MRSA).
Interestingly, the MRSA colonized group registered a higher subsequent MRSA infection rate of 11% as compared to the 3.5% in the non-colonized group. The Xpert PCR method proved to be an effective tool with 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity, despite its steeper cost ($50 per test) in comparison to the traditional culture method that was priced at around $7.50.
To augment the fight against infections, healthcare institutions have deployed various strategic measures to curb MRSA’s spread. The rise in MRSA colonization in hospitalized patients poses significant challenges to healthcare budgeting and the infection control teams. Some of the strategies used include MRSA surveillance methods based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) approaches like the Xpert PCR assay.
The effectiveness of the Xpert PCR kit in identifying MRSA colonization was evaluated by comparing it to the gold-standard culture technique. As such, the study established the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of the kit to maximize its utilization in clinical settings.
Further to this, the study also aimed to identify the frequency of patients with MRSA colonization/infection at admission and discharge as well as the potential risk factors involved. The study outcomes indicated that the use of Xpert PCR kit significantly improved the rapid and accurate detection of MRSA colonization, thus substantiating the need for larger-scale studies to further validate these findings.
Source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09710-5