Xpert MRSA/SA SSTI

The tremendous increase of both hospital acquired and community acquired MRSA in skin and soft tissue infections requires a change in management of these infections. The Cepheid Xpert^® MRSA/SA SSTI test allows for the determination of the presence of Staphylococcus aureus or methicillin-resistant S. aureus in skin and soft tissue infections in less than one hour. Coupled with the simplicity of Cepheid's GeneXpert^® System, results can now be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Runs On: GeneXpert System

Problem

The most common etiologic agent of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) is S. aureus. Staphylococci are the leading cause of superficial and deep pyogenic infections, bacteraemia, surgical wound infections, infections of bioprosthetic materials, and the second leading cause of nosocomial infections. Staphylococcal infections range in severity from trivial and self-limited to life-threatening. The morbidity and cost for cure associated with skin and soft tissue infections have been rising in recent years in parallel with the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Solution

As the therapy of choice significantly differs for S. aureus, MRSA, and Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS), a rapid and reliable diagnostic test, confirming the presence of methicillin-susceptible vs. methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or excluding the presence of S. aureus would provide extremely valuable information for clinical decision-making6. Xpert MRSA/SA SSTI is a real-time test, performed within 50 minutes - sample to answer - anywhere in the hospital, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With the addition of Cepheid's Xpert MRSA/SA SSTI and blood culture tests, real-time S. aureus diagnostics have become a reality.

Impact

Xpert MRSA/SA SSTI provides results to physicians with unrivalled speed for timely and most appropriate preventive and therapeutic decisions. This means optimal patient management, targeted therapy where it matters, faster recovery, fewer therapeutic failures, and reduced likeliness of antibiotic resistance development. In a variety of settings, rapid detection of MRSA/SA will help the physicians to quickly diagnose and institute the proper therapy. The test you have been waiting for!