A Prevalence Study of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Emergency Department Health Care Workers - 21/08/11
Address for correspondence: Elise O. Lovell, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Room 185-W, Advocate Christ Medical Center, 440 West 95th Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453; 708-684-5375, fax 708-684-1028Résumé |
Study objective |
Few studies of the prevalence of nasal colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in emergency department (ED) health care workers have been conducted. To better understand the epidemiology of this pathogen, we seek to determine the MRSA nasal colonization rates in the ED health care workers in our hospital.
Methods |
We conducted a prospective cohort study on a convenience sample of ED health care workers, including nurses, physicians, and technicians. Nasal swabs from subjects were analyzed with a polymerase chain reaction assay for the presence of MRSA.
Results |
Of the 105 ED health care workers enrolled, a total of 16 (15%, 95% confidence interval 9.6% to 23%) were MRSA positive. No significant difference was observed in colonization rates between nurses, physicians, and technicians.
Conclusion |
Our ED health care workers demonstrated a high prevalence of nasal MRSA colonization compared with individuals in recent community surveillance and other studies involving ED staff.
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| Supervising editor: David A. Talan, MD |
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| Author contributions: AB and EOL created the hypothesis, designed the study, analyzed the data, and had main responsibility for interpreting the results and writing the article. AB, KP, and EOL performed data collection. LS assisted with background information, interpreting the results, and editing the article. EL takes responsibility for the paper as a whole. |
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| Funding and support: By Annals policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article, that might create any potential conflict of interest. See the Manuscript Submission Agreement in this issue for examples of specific conflicts covered by this statement. Funding was provided by the Advocate Christ Emergency Department Research Fund, Cepheid, and ACL Laboratory in Rosemont, IL. |
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| Publication dates: Available online April 24, 2008. |
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| Reprints not available from the authors. |
Vol 52 - N° 5
P. 525-528 - novembre 2008 Retour au numéro
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- Correction
- Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization in Emergency Department Personnel
- Brian P. Suffoletto, Eliot H. Cannon, Kaveh Ilkhanipour, Donald M. Yealy
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