Rapid detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococci with the MS-2 system.

The ability of the updated Abbott MS-2 system to detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was compared with disk agar diffusion and broth microdilution. Of the 87 MRSA isolates tested, the MS-2 system correctly detected 85 (97.7%) in 5 h. Seventy-two of the isolates were detected by disk agar diffusion within 24 h, and 15 more by 48 h. Broth microdilution detected 71 MRSA by 24 h of incubation and 11 more by 48 h. The updated MS-2 system yielded reliable results that were highly comparable with the standard techniques.