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18 April 2008

Accurate determination of MIC values

M.I.C.Evaluator (M.I.C.E.™) strips combine the simplicity and ease of use of the diffusion method with the accuracy of an MIC test, to provide important information for the treatment of critically ill patients.

The M.I.C.E. strips carry a stabilised antimicrobial, covering 15 doubling dilutions, on a convenient polymer strip. The distinctive scale format of M.I.C.E. strips provides an excellent contrast with the agar and the increased font size makes reading easier.

M.I.C.E. strips are firm but flexible, making them easy to handle when applying them to pre-inoculated agar plates. Upon application, the antimicrobial is released from the M.I.C.E. strip, forming a defined concentration gradient in the surrounding agar. After an appropriate incubation, a lawn of growth develops with a clear zone around the M.I.C.E. strip where the concentration gradient in the medium has been sufficient to inhibit growth. The MIC is easily read where the interface between zone and growth of the organism touches the strip.

Dr Gunnar Kahlmeter, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Central Hospital, Växjö, Sweden, one of the international product triallists, said:

“We have completed extensive trials using the Oxoid M.I.C.E. strips compared to gold standard Iso-Sensitest agar dilution techniques. The M.I.C.E. strips proved easy to handle in the laboratory, giving a good MIC correlation against the reference method when tested with a wide range of clinical and culture collection isolates. The single strip packaging should be especially suitable for routine clinical microbiological practice where the exact number of strips can easily be removed as required”.

Amanda Appleton, clinical applications manager, Oxoid, comments, “An accurate MIC value can be extremely important in guiding appropriate antimicrobial therapy and can significantly improve patient management. This value can be obtained easily, quickly and with precision using M.I.C.Evaluator, without the need to invest in additional, complicated equipment”.

Individually foil wrapped with desiccant to maintain integrity until use, M.I.C.E. strips minimise wastage and are available in stackable boxes of 10 and 50 strips. M.I.C.E. strips are available for a wide selection of antibiotics at a concentration range of 0.015µg/ml - 256µg/ml. Specialist high and low level concentration strips are also available.

Information on the full product range is available by following the link. Additional information on the use and interpretation of M.I.C.Evaluator strips can be obtained by simply downloading any or all of the following, in PDF format:

• M.I.C.E Reading Guide (309KB)
• M.I.C.E Interpretation Guide (4.5MB)
• M.I.C.E datasheet (2.6MB)
• M.I.C.Evaluator Monograph (4.3MB)
• M.I.C.Evaluator multilinguage Instructions for Use (176KB)

Alternatively, contact Oxoid on telephone +44 1256 841144, fax +44 1256 329728, email val.stroud@thermofisher.com or speak to your local Oxoid representative for further details.

The new font size and distinctive strip format of M.I.C.E. strips make reading results easy.

To minimise wastage, M.I.C.E. strips are individually foil wrapped and available in stackable boxes of 10 and 50 strips.

M.I.C.E strips are easy to handle and manipulate.