Korean J Clin Pathol.  1998 Jun;18(2):179-182.

Differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus from Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci by Lipovitellin-Salt-Mannitol Agar

• Kim HS
• Song W
• Park MJ
• Lee KM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus is most frequently isolated Gram-positive cocci from clinical specimens. The accurate identification of S. aureus is required. Lipovitellin-salt-mannitol (LSM) agar is medium for differentiating S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) by mannitol acidification and lipovitellin lipase reaction. In this study, we compare LSM agar with the other conventional methods for differentiating S. aureus and CNS in clinical laboratories, coagulase test, mannitol-salt agar (MSA), and DNase agar.
METHODS
One hundred and forty-five isolates of staphylococci from clinical specimens are used. S. aureus and CNS were identified by coagulase test, MSA, DNase agar, and LSM agar.
RESULTS
Eighty-nine isolates were identified as S. aureus and 59 isolates were revealed CNS. Compared ability of methods to differntiate S. aureus from CNS, sensitivity and specificity were 98.7% and 96.6% with LSM agar, 92.1% and 96.6% with coagulase test, 96.6% and 93.2% with MSA, 93.3% and 98.3% with DNase agar, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
LSM agar show good discrimination between S. aureus and CNS. LSM agar may be used for identification of S. aureus in clinical laboratories.

Keyword

S. aureus; Coagulase-negative staphylococci; Lipovitellin-salt-mannitol agar

MeSH Terms

Agar*
Coagulase
Deoxyribonucleases
Discrimination (Psychology)
Gram-Positive Cocci
Lipase
Mannitol
Sensitivity and Specificity
Staphylococcus aureus*
Staphylococcus*
Agar
Coagulase
Deoxyribonucleases
Lipase
Mannitol