Cefoxitin resistance as a surrogate marker for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Clarence J. Fernandes, Lorna A. Fernandes, Peter Collignon, Susan Bradbury, Thomas Gottlieb, Glenn Funnell, Sue Tiley, Ian Winney, James Branley, Sam Ryder, Iain B. Gosbell, Helen Ziochos, Alistair McGregor, Rob Peterson, David Mitchell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

113 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the usefulness of cefoxitin when used as a surrogate marker for the detection of methicillin resistance. Patients and methods: Eight hundred and seventy-one strains of Staphylococcus aureus, collected from eight tertiary referral centres serving diverse socio-economic populations, were included in the study using NCCLS disc diffusion and the agar dilution methods. Results: Using cefoxitin and NCCLS criteria for disc diffusion, the sensitivity and specificity for recognizing methicillin resistance were both 100%. Similar results were obtained when the strains were tested by the agar dilution method. The cefoxitin MICs for methicillin-susceptible strains were ≤ 4 mg/L. Conclusions: Testing with cefoxitin as a surrogate marker for the detection of methicillin resistance was very accurate with both disc diffusion and agar dilution methods. Such testing clearly distinguished methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus from methicillin-susceptible strains.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)506-510
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Volume55
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2005
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Community-onset MRSA infections
  • Hospital-acquired infections
  • Non-multiresistant staphylococcus aureus
  • Oxacillin resistance

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