MAY 31, 2022

Rapid Nasal PCR Testing for MRSA Cuts Vancomycin Use, Costs

By Gina Shaw

Rapid nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly reduced inpatient vancomycin use and led to notable cost savings, reported investigators from Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in a presentation at the 2022 annual MAD-ID (Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases) conference, in Orlando, Fla.

“Empiric IV vancomycin prescribing to provide MRSA coverage confers risk for