CADTH’s health technology assessment report on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests examines the clinical and the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital settings. This assessment focuses on the introduction of PCR versus conventional (chromogenic agar) MRSA screening in hospitalized patients. It also examines current clinical practice guidelines, relevant planning considerations, and ethical issues that are faced by Canadian jurisdictions looking to adopt PCR for MRSA screening.
This report has been extensively peer-reviewed by external clinical and methodological experts.