Comparison of ESwab and Wound Fiber Swab Specimen Collection Devices for Use with Xpert SA Nasal Complete Assay.

Paired nasal swab specimens were collected from patients who were undergoing routine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening prior to elective cardiac or orthopedic procedures. Each patient was swabbed using a traditional wound fiber liquid Stuart swab and an ESwab device, a flocked swab with a modified liquid Amies microbiology transport medium. The two specimens were tested using the Cepheid Xpert SA Nasal Complete assay. Results demonstrated a 95.5% agreement between the ESwab and the FDA-cleared wound fiber swab collection device.

Preliminary Evaluation of the Research-Use-Only (RUO) iCubate iC-GPC Assay for Identification of Select Gram-Positive Bacteria and Their Resistance Determinants in Blood Culture Broths.

The iC-GPC assay (iCubate, Huntsville, AL) provides a molecular option for the rapid, on-demand analysis of positive blood cultures. A preliminary evaluation of the iC-GPC assay using 203 clinical or seeded specimens demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.8% to 100% and a specificity of 98.0% to 100% for the identification of five Gram-positive bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus faecium) and three associated genetic resistance determinants (mecA, vanA, and vanB) in positive blood culture broths.