PCR Technique to Identify Methicillin-sensitive and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Nasal and Respiratory Tract Samples

Patients undergoing heart surgery require ventilation for more than 48 hours. These patients, placed on mechanical ventilation for a median of 7 days, will be followed weekly until their discharge from hospital. We estimate we will need 500 determinations.

Samples will be obtained according to usual clinical practice. Thus, rather than discarding a sample, it will be subjected to the two laboratory diagnostic techniques (conventional culture and the Xpert® assay). No patient will be subjected to any procedure outside that of routine clinical practice.

Patient with a tracheal tube in whom nasal and LRT secretions can be simultaneously obtained. Patients may also be included if LRT samples can be obtained via a different approach (tracheostomy, fibrobroncoscopy etc.).

Inclusion criteria

• Adults (≥ 18 years)
• Signed Informed consent
• Patient admitted to the HS-ICU before or after undergoing heart surgery
• Patient on mechanical ventilation for >2 calendar days on the date of event (suspicion of LRT infection) ), taking the day of ventilator placement as day 1
• Patient with a tracheal tube in whom nasal and LRT secretions can be simultaneously obtained. Patients may also be included if LRT samples can be obtained via a different approach (tracheostomy, fibrobroncoscopy etc.).