PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Hensley, Donna M AU - Tapia, Rachel AU - Encina, Yadira TI - An Evaluation of the AdvanDx <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>/CNS PNA FISH™ Assay AID - 10.29074/ascls.22.1.30 DP - 2009 Jan 01 TA - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science PG - 30--33 VI - 22 IP - 1 4099 - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/22/1/30.short 4100 - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/22/1/30.full SO - Clin Lab Sci2009 Jan 01; 22 AB - PURPOSE: A study was conducted to compare the S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™ Culture Identification Kit (AdvanDx, Woburn MA) to standard microbiology identification methods for presumptive identification of S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) in positive blood cultures.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood cultures (n=301) that signaled positive on the BacT/Alert™ 3D (bioMerieux, Durham NC) automated blood culture system and had gram-positive cocci in clusters on Gram stain were processed using standard microbiology methods and were analyzed with the S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™ assay. The S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™ assay was performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.RESULTS: Overall agreement was 96.7%. Sensitivity for S. aureus was 96.5% (83/86). Specificity for S. aureus was 100% (215/215). Sensitivity for CNS was 96.6% (201/208). Specificity for CNS was 96.8% (90/93). Three cultures reported as S. aureus were identified as CNS by S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™. Three cultures that reported only S. aureus were positive for both S. aureus and CNS by S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™. One S. viridans was identified as CNS by S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™. Seven cultures that reported CNS were negative by S. aureus/CNS PNA FISH™.CONCLUSION: When used in conjunction with Gram stain and culture the S.aureus/CNS PNA FISH™ assay may be beneficial in terms of reducing time to correct therapy, thereby decreasing mortality and costs associated with S. aureus bacteremia.ABBREVIATIONS: CNS = coagulase negative staphylococci; FISH = fluorescent in situ hybridization; PNA = peptide nucleic acid.