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15 April 2008

New Brilliance™ MRSA Agar launched

Oxoid has launched a new improved chromogenic medium for the accurate isolation and detection of MRSA within just 18-24 hours. Oxoid Brilliance MRSA Agar is quick and easy to use, providing a reliable and cost effective method for MRSA screening in the hospital setting.

The detection of hospital-acquired infection (so-called ‘Super bugs’), such as MRSA, continues to be of major concern to hospitals and health services worldwide. Routine screening of patients for MRSA is one of the measures that has been identified as fundamental in the fight against hospital-acquired MRSA infections^1-5.

The success of a screening programme depends on the speed, reliability and cost effectiveness of the method used. Oxoid Brilliance MRSA Agar is a selective chromogenic medium that permits primary growth, selectivity and differentiation of MRSA colonies on a single plate. Brilliance MRSA Agar is both fast and reliable and, unlike other rapid methods such as PCR, it requires no capital outlay and is accessible to every hospital laboratory.

In a recent trial at Monklands General Hospital, Airdrie, Scotland, Brilliance MRSA Agar was evaluated and compared to alternative chromogenic media, including the existing Oxoid chromogenic MRSA formulation. Brilliance MRSA Agar accurately enabled the detection of MRSA from clinical samples within 24 hours (unlike the alternative media which required 48 hours to obtain a reliable result) and demonstrated higher sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values⁶. Although the performance of the previous Oxoid medium was also good, the use of a new surrogate marker for meticillin resistance in Brilliance MRSA Agar resulted in even higher specificity and positive predictive values⁶.

The trial site concluded that the shorter incubation time associated with Brilliance MRSA Agar greatly aids the detection of MRSA in hospital patients, for both screening and diagnostic purposes, enabling eradication/treatment procedures to start at least 24 hours sooner than if alternative chromogenic media had been used⁶.

For further information, download the product datasheet (733KB) in PDF format or go to the product entry page on the web site. Alternatively, speak to your local Oxoid representative for further details.

References:

1. BBC News, 6 January 2008, Brown pledges superbug screening.
2. BBC News, 9 January 2008, Hospital bug strategy is set out.
3. Department of Health (2008) Clean, safe care: reducing infection and saving lives.
4. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (2007) The clinical and cost effectiveness of screening for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Health Technology Assessment Report 9.
5. Kluytmans, J (2007) Success in MRSA control European Hospital 26 June 2007.
6. Data on file (Oxoid)