Rapid screening for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by PCR and associated costs

Bühlmann, Manuela; Bögli-Stuber, Katja; Droz, Sara; Mühlemann, Kathrin (2008). Rapid screening for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by PCR and associated costs. Journal of clinical microbiology, 46(7), pp. 2151-4. Washington, D.C.: American Society for Microbiology 10.1128/JCM.01957-07

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PCR tests for the rapid and valid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are now available. We evaluated the costs associated with contact screening for MRSA carriage in a tertiary-care hospital with low MRSA endemicity. Between 1 October 2005 and 28 February 2006, 232 patients were screened during 258 screening episodes (644 samples) for MRSA carriage by GenoType MRSA Direct (Hain Lifescience GmbH, Nehren, Germany). Conventional culture confirmed all PCR results. According to in-house algorithms, 34 of 258 screening episodes (14.7%) would have qualified for preemptive contact isolation, but such isolation was not done upon negative PCR results. MRSA carriage was detected in 4 (1.5%) of 258 screening episodes (i.e., in four patients), of which none qualified for preemptive contact isolation. The use of PCR for all 258 screening episodes added costs (in Swiss francs [CHF]) of CHF 104,328.00 and saved CHF 38,528.00 (for preemptive isolation). The restriction of PCR screening to the 34 episodes that qualified for preemptive contact isolation and screening all others by culture would have lowered costs for PCR to only CHF 11,988.00, a savings of CHF 38,528.00. Therefore, PCR tests are valuable for the rapid detection of MRSA carriers, but high costs require the careful evaluation of their use. In patient populations with low MRSA endemicity, the broad use of PCR probably is not cost-effective.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Haematology, Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Medicine and Hospital Pharmacy (DOLS) > Clinic of Infectiology 04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases
UniBE Contributor:	Bühlmann, Manuela, Bögli, Katja, Droz, Sara Christine, Mühlemann, Kathrin
ISSN:	0095-1137
ISBN:	18448693
Publisher:	American Society for Microbiology
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:06
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:20
Publisher DOI:	10.1128/JCM.01957-07
PubMed ID:	18448693
Web of Science ID:	000258906800001
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/28667 (FactScience: 125089)