Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T01:52:06.251Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evaluation of the Microbiology of Soft-Tissue Abscesses in the Era of Community-Associated Strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An Argument for Empirical Contact Precautions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Thomas R. Talbot*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee Departments of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Joseph J. Nania
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Patty W. Wright
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Ian Jones
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Dominik Aronsky
Affiliation:
Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
*
A-2200 Medical Center North, 1161 21 st Avenue South, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 ([email protected])

Abstract

To ascertain the microbiology of skin abscesses, emergency department records were reviewed to identify patients with debrided skin abscesses. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 255 (67.6%) of 377 culture samples from episodes in the adult cohort and from 145 (79.7%) of 182 culture samples from episodes in the pediatric cohort. Thus, empirical use of contact precautions for patients with skin abscesses should be strongly considered.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System Report, data summary from January 1992 through June 2004, issued October 2004. Am J Infect Control 2004;32:470485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Fridkin, SK, Hageman, JC, Morrison, M, et al.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus disease in three communities. N Engl J Med 2005;352:14361444.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Kaplan, SL, Hulten, KG, Gonzalez, BE, et al.Three-year surveillance of community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus infections in children. Clin Infect Dis 2005;40:17851791.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Garner, JS. Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals. The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996;17:5380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Jackson, M, Jarvis, WR, Scheckler, WE. HICPAC/SHEA—conflicting guidelines: what is the standard of care? Am J Infect Control 2004;32:504511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Creech, CB 2nd, Kernodle, DS, Alsentzer, A, Wilson, C, Edwards, KM. Increasing rates of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in healthy children. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2005;24:617621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Moran, GJ, Krishnadasan, A, Gorwitz, RJ, et al.Methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections among patients in the emergency department. N Engl J Med 2006;355:666674.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Muto, CA, Jernigan, JA, Ostrowsky, BE, et al.SHEA guideline for preventing nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003;24:362386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed