Misclassification of Susceptible Strains of Staphylococcus aureus as Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus by a Rapid Automated Susceptibility Testing System

Eight Staphylococcus aureus strains initially identified by Vitek GPS-BS or GPS-SA cards as resistant to oxacillin, but susceptible to most non-beta-lactam antibiotics, were found on further testing to be susceptible to oxacillin and ceftizoxime by disk diffusion tests. For all these strains, the MICs of oxacillin were </=0.5 microg/ml by agar dilution tests, and the strains were oxacillin susceptible when tested by the BBL Crystal MRSA ID and a Vitek machine with GPS-101 cards. None grew on oxacillin-salt agar screening plates. None were positive for mecA gene sequences by PCR. When S. aureus strains tested by Vitek GPS-SA or GPS-BS cards appear resistant to only penicillin and oxacillin, a confirmatory test such as the oxacillin-salt agar screening method should be performed.