Publications of Faculty of Medicine:CONVENTIONAL METHODS VERSUS PCR AS A RAPID METHOD FOR MRSA IDENTIFICATION DIRECTLY FROM POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURE BROTH IN NEONATAL SEPSIS AT BENHA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Abstract

Background/Aim Neonatal septicemia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Physical signs and symptoms, though useful hi identifying possible cases• have limited specificity. Definitive diagnosis is by bacteriologic culture of blood samples to identify organisms and establish antibiotic susceptibility. These results are usually not available promptly. So we compared conventional methods versus PCR for their ability to identify Staphylococcus species including methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) directly from positive blood culture bottles. The aim of this study was to: identify organisms encountered in neonatal sepsis and identify MRSA directly from positive blood culture broth by the use of molecular and conventional methods. Methods: This study was carried out on 90 cases of neonatal sepsis (54 males and 36 females). The cases were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Benha University Hospital. Patients were classified into two groups: Group I (early onset): ineluded