Oxoid aura system as a semi-automated, standard antimicrobial susceptibility test method

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Clinical Science
• Public Health

Background:

• The UK faces challenges in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance due to diverse susceptibility testing methods.
• The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy developed a standard method to address this.
• Standardized surveillance is crucial for effective antimicrobial stewardship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare an early manual Oxoid Aura system with an in-house, non-standard method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• To evaluate the utility of the Oxoid Aura system for analyzing antibiotic susceptibility data, including for Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

Main Methods:

• Comparison of an early manual-measurement Oxoid Aura system against a non-standard in-house method.
• Evaluation of antibiotic susceptibility data for Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA.

Main Results:

• The Oxoid Aura system demonstrated utility in evaluating antibiotic susceptibility data.
• The study provides insights into the performance of a specific system in the context of national surveillance needs.

Conclusions:

• The Oxoid Aura system, even in its early manual form, can be useful for antimicrobial resistance surveillance.
• An automated version of the equipment is now available, suggesting potential for improved future surveillance efforts.