Kathryn Black wrote:
>> WasGross wrote:
> >
> > Our lab has recently identified a problem we have had with
> > identifying Enterococcus using Microscan. We thought we were isolating E.
> > faecium which were vancomycin resistant. However, we have now found that
> > they are probably not Enterococcus at all. The colonies are more alpha
> > hemolytic than gamma and are whiter in appearance than E.fecalis. On
> > Microscan they are BE + and
> > NaCl neg. Due to the probability using the biochemicals in the remaining
> > wells the isolate identifies as E. faecium without being an exception.
> > 1. Are there any Microscan users out there experiencing the same
> > problem?
> > 2. Any suggestions in a scheme an overworked, underpaid hospital
> > laboratory can use to identify these organisms accurately? (We think they
> > could be Pediococcus)
> >
> > Thank
> > you.I'm not a Microscan user, but almost all of our isolates of E. faecium
> are alpha-hemolytic. We use the bio-Merieux API 20Strep system for
> identification and it works great.
>> Kate
We are not using our Microscan for primary ID of enterococcus - we
use Phadebact D and PYR discs and then do sensis on the Microscan. The
microscan has a miserable record for streps as far as I can tell.
Jan
