The accumulated evidence suggests that chromogenic media have a sensitivity thatis comparable to that of PCR for detection of MRSA if cultures are incubated for 48 hor enrichment culture is included. PCR offers the advantage of a significantly fasterturnaround time and may facilitate prompt isolation of colonized patients and/or areduced number of days of isolation. Despite this, there is no evidence of a reduced rateof MRSA acquisition. The ongoing debate surrounding the need for, and extent of,screening of patients for MRSA is beyond the scope of this review (97).