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3M Health Care Launches New Weapon in the Fight Against MRSA
 | Clinicians attending the 17th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) learned today that there is a new weapon available in the fight against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Hospitals fighting the battle to stop the spread of the MRSA superbug will have access to a new five-hour culture-based test that detects the deadly bacteria direct from clinical specimens. The 3M™ BacLite™ Rapid MRSA Test launches as the first rapid culture-based test that can effectively and reliably detect the presence or absence of MRSA in high risk patients within five hours.
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MRSA is one of the most significant hospital acquired infections in Europe. Among the G5 countries, made up of Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain, prevalence rates range from 21 percent to 44 percent.[1] In some European countries the proportion of MRSA infection found among patients in intensive care units was over 60 percent.[2]
'The launch of this new test represents an important advance in the war against MRSA,' explains Professor dr. Jan Kluytmans, Consultant Microbiologist, Amphia Hospital Breda/Oosterhout and VUmc Medical University Amsterdam. 'One of the most significant things that we can do to reduce or even halt the spread of MRSA is to identify which patients are carriers, so that we can take appropriate action as early as possible. This test gives us the speed we need at a relatively low price - something that is becoming more and more important in these days of cost containment.'
The new 3M BacLite Rapid MRSA Test will help clinicians quickly identify MRSA colonised patients so they can proactively manage carriers. Importantly, a confirmed negative test result is available within five hours and a confirmed positive result in 24 hours. The improved speed of these results will mean that staff can act more quickly to identify at risk patients, take action to control the spread of infection and thereby help prevent the increasing burden of hospital acquired infections.
Alternatives to 3M's BacLite Rapid MRSA Test include traditional culture-based screening, where clinicians must wait at least 48 hours for test results, or expensive molecular diagnostics. This is a very cost effective option and the lowest cost MRSA test available that provides same-day results.
Early screening may assist in the management of infection control by reducing costs associated with isolating patients who are suspected of carrying the deadly MRSA bacteria until confirmatory test results can be obtained.
'The BacLite MRSA Test represents a revolutionary step in microbiology testing,' says Steve O'Hara, director of microbiology with 3M Medical Diagnostics. 'It is quick and simple to use due to its accelerated culture-based detection of micro-organisms direct from clinical specimen.'
The test requires 45 minutes total hands-on time for 45 specimens, which helps the laboratory's efficiency and productivity. It is easy for health care facilities to implement, as it does not require a high level of expertise in the laboratory to run the test. It also has an objective endpoint, which means that the opportunity for error is reduced.
In the UK, it is estimated that MRSA infections are costing €1.5 billion (£1 billion) a year. Around 15 percent (€224.2 million/£150 million) could be prevented by better application of good practice.[3] The cost of hospital acquired infections across all of Europe is substantially higher.
References:
[1] EARSS Annual Report 2005, p44-46.
[2] ibid, p46.
[3] National Audit Office. Improving Patient Care by Reducing the Risk of Hospital Acquired Infection: a Progress Report. HC876 Session 2003-2004: 14 July 2004, p1.
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Source: 3M Microbiology
Posted: May 26, 2008
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