[Evaluation of a new chromogenic medium for isolation of MRSA]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for an increasing number of serious nosocomial and community-acquired infections, and accurate methods to detect such strains are needed. We tested the susceptibility of 3 kinds of MRSA isolation medium, MRSA Screen Agar, Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar and CHROMagar MRSA. Both sensitivity and specificity of CHROMagar MRSA were 100%. The sensitivity and specificity of both MRSA Screen Agar and Oxacillin Resistance Screening Agar were 100% and 91.5%, respectively. It is suggested that CHROMagar MRSA is a useful medium to detect MRSA including mecA positive and oxacillin susceptible strains.