Automation of the BD GeneOhm methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus assay for high-throughput screening of nasal swab specimens.

This study demonstrated that an automated version of the BD-GeneOhm methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) assay (BD-MRSA), using achromopeptidase sample lysis and PCR setup performed on the Hamilton MICROLAB STAR(let) (Auto-MRSA), gave results comparable to those obtained with BD-MRSA. The positive- and negative-result concordance rates and overall concordance of BD-MRSA and Auto-MRSA were 98.2, 97.7, and 97.6%, respectively. Auto-MRSA required 60% less technical time than BD-MRSA, and the time required to obtain results was 50% of that required for BD-MRSA. Auto-MRSA provides a reliable, robust system for high-volume clinical use.