This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Nasal screening alone may be insufficient for MRSA detection
Mermel L. J Clin Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.02601-10.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Researchers suggest for cultures of multiple body sites to be obtained before ruling out methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization.
Although previous research have examined differences in the quantity of MRSA at different sites, the interrelationship between colonization at those sites has yet to be examined.
For this reason, researchers enrolled patients older than 18 years during 2007 and 2008 with a previous diagnosis of MRSA. Participants had MRSA-positive clinical cultures during the most recent hospitalization or during a hospitalization within one year prior to enrollment.
Medical records of patients with positive MRSA cultures were reviewed to assess risk factors for MRSA carriage, as well as current and past MRSA infection. Mean age of colonized patients was 55 years; 64% were male. The majority were white (77%), followed by black (19%) and Hispanic (4%).
MRSA was confirmed from at least one body site in 53 of 60 adults; 75% had MRSA colonization at extranasal sites, according to the researchers.
Sensitivity and negative predictive values for cultures of nasal passages were 91% and 58%; 63% and 26% for the groin; 47% and 20% for the perineum; and 32% and 16% for the underarm, respectively.
Greater sensitivity was found with nasal passages when compared with the underarm (P<.001), groin (P=.003), and perineum (P<.001). However, the groin was more sensitive than the underarm (P=.002).
The greatest yield from any two body sites were the nasal passages and groin — a combined sensitivity of 98% and negative predictive value of 88%, according to the researchers.
 |
Follow InfectiousDiseaseNews.com on Twitter. |