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Evaluation of MicroScan rapid panels for detection of high-level aminoglycoside resistance in enterococci

G L Woods1, B DiGiovanni, M Levison

  • 1Department of Pathology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.

Insights

MicroScan rapid panels accurately detect high-level aminoglycoside resistance in enterococci. These panels identified 97.5% of resistant isolates, outperforming conventional methods for gentamicin and streptomycin resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Clinical Diagnostics
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Enterococci are significant nosocomial pathogens.
  • High-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) in enterococci complicates treatment.
  • Accurate and rapid detection of HLAR is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the performance of MicroScan rapid panels for detecting high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) in enterococci.
  • To compare the accuracy of rapid panels with conventional methods.

Main Methods:

  • Agar dilution was used as the gold standard for determining resistance.
  • 139 enterococcal isolates were tested.
  • MicroScan rapid panels and conventional panels were used for detection.

Main Results:

  • Agar dilution identified 46 of 139 isolates as susceptible to gentamicin (GNT) and streptomycin (STRP); the remainder showed high-level resistance.
  • MicroScan rapid panels detected 97.5% of STRP- and GNT-resistant isolates with 95.6% specificity.
  • Conventional panels showed lower detection rates: 64.6% for STRP and 90.2% for GNT at 18 hours.

Conclusions:

  • MicroScan rapid panels offer a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting HLAR in enterococci.
  • Rapid panels provide a significant improvement over conventional methods in terms of speed and accuracy.
  • The use of MicroScan rapid panels can facilitate timely and appropriate therapeutic decisions for infections caused by resistant enterococci.

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