NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Cepheid has received marketing clearance in Canada for its Xpert MRSA/SA Blood Culture test for rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus aureus in blood culture bottles showing gram-positive cocci.
The test processes positive blood culture specimens to determine if a patient's blood is infected with MRSA or SA, which Cepheid said are frequent causes of sepsis in hospitalized patients. Such a test can enable physicians to "quickly de-escalate from broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment to a more effective targeted therapy, thus reducing risk of resistance and improving patient outcomes," the firm said in a statement today.
According to Cepheid, more than 250,000 Canadian patients experience infected surgical wounds, blood infections, and antibiotic-resistant organisms while in the hospital each year.
Cepheid noted that the Xpert MRSA/SA Blood Culture test is the firm's sixth test to receive a license from Health Canada.