Identification of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Wound Cultures by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry Improves Accuracy of Susceptibility Reporting at an Increase in Cost

Abstract

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius can easily be mistaken for Staphylococcus aureus using phenotypic and rapid biochemical methods. We began confirming the identification of all coagulase-positive staphylococci isolated from human wound cultures at our centralized laboratory, servicing both community and inpatients, with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry instead of using phenotypic and rapid biochemical tests, and determined the prevalence of S. pseudintermedius since the change in identification procedure and at what cost.