Correlation of MRSA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) wound swab testing and wound cultures in skin and soft tissue infections

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a considerable pathogen in the setting of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). MRSA PCR swab testing is widely used in the setting of respiratory tract infections, however little data exists relating to the use of MRSA PCR swab testing in SSTIs. Three thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five patients were included in this retrospective study that aimed to validate the clinical correlation of MRSA PCR wound swab testing in SSTIs through sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) analysis. From this review, MRSA PCR wound swabs were found to have a sensitivity of 97.6% (97.5–98.5), a specificity of 94.9% (94.3–95.7), a PPV of 92.3% (91.4–93.2), and a NPV of 98.4% (98.0–98.8). The study results demonstrate that the MRSA SSTI PCR assays have a high NPV and the potential to be a vital tool in de-escalating antimicrobial therapy associated with SSTIs.