Rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) using the KeyPath MRSA/MSSA blood culture test and the BacT/ALERT system in a pediatric population.

Context: Timely initiation of directed antimicrobial therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is dependent on rapid identification of S. aureus to ascertain methicillin-susceptibility status.

Objectives: To investigate the performance of the rapid KeyPath (MicroPhage, Inc, Longmont, Colorado) methicillin-resistant S.