TABLE 1.

Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and number of different screening groups needed to treat to predict MRSA clinical culture result among patients for whom clinical culture of a sample was performed or who received antibiotics in the first 48 h of admission

Group	Sensitivity (%)	Specificity (%)	Positive predictive value (%)	Negative predictive value (%)	No. needed to treat
Screening question answers “yes” and MRSA surveillance test positive	39.7	95.9	23.8	98.0	4
Screening question answers “yes” and MRSA surveillance test negative	32.4	58.4	2.4	96.5	42
Screening question answers “no” and thus not tested for MRSA	27.9	45.6	1.6	95.2	63