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Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in European hospitals : report from the ARPAC study

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MacKenzie, F. M., Bruce, J. (Julie), Van Looveren, M., Cornaglia, G., Gould, I. M. and Goossens, H. (2006) Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in European hospitals : report from the ARPAC study. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 12 (12). pp. 1185-1192. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01549.x ISSN 1198-743X.

An open access version can be found in:
  • https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfec...
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01549.x

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Abstract

This observational study describes the antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods and interpretive criteria used in European hospitals during 2001, focusing specifically on detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Of 263 hospitals that took part in the ARPAC study, 192 submitted data on AST. Of these, 89% (n = 170) routinely used a disk-diffusion AST method, 43% (n = 82) used a semi-automated method, and 70% (n = 135) routinely determined MICs. Hospitals in southern Europe were less likely to use disk-diffusion, but were more likely to use a semi-automated method (p < 0.001). In total, 173 (90%) interpreted AST results using CLSI breakpoints; 30% of these detected MRSA using unmodified CLSI disk-diffusion methods, while 35% used the unmodified CLSI agar-screening method for MRSA; 41% and 30% adhered to unmodified CLSI methodology for disk-diffusion and agar-screening, respectively, to detect VRE. Some of the modifications made may have greatly reduced the ability of the tests to detect MRSA/ VRE. For example, 20% of respondents used excessively high incubation temperatures and 13% used inadequate incubation times to detect MRSA by disk-diffusion, and 28% used Mueller-Hinton agar instead of brain-heart infusion agar in VRE screening plates. The majority of respondents stated that they followed CLSI guidelines, but a high proportion had modified the CLSI methods for detecting MRSA and VRE, which may compromise clinical management and antimicrobial resistance surveillance. © 2006 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Journal or Publication Title: Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Publisher: Elsevier
ISSN: 1198-743X
Official Date: December 2006
Dates:
DateEvent
December 2006Published
5 June 2006Accepted
Volume: 12
Number: 12
Page Range: pp. 1185-1192
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2006.01549.x
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder: European Commission (EC), European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
Grant number: QLK2-2001-00915
Open Access Version:
  • https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfec...

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