Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors diagnose MRSA by checking a tissue sample or nasal secretions for signs of drug-resistant bacteria. The sample is sent to a lab where it's placed in a dish of nutrients that encourage bacterial growth. But because it takes about 48 hours for the bacteria to grow, newer tests that can detect staph DNA in a matter of hours are now becoming more widely available.
- Antimicrobial (drug) resistance: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialResistance/Examples/mrsa/overview.htm. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Community-associated MRSA infection for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Archer GL. Staphylococcal infections. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189395219-4/968689922/1492/1112.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50315-3--cesec33_13717. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Antibiotic resistance: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/anitbiotic-resistance-faqs.html. Accessed March 16, 2010.
- Wallin TR, et al. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2008;26:431.
- Freeman J, et al. Rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 16, 2010.

Find Mayo Clinic on