Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T03:21:15.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Screening for Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Shortly After Exposure May Lead to False-Negative Results

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

John Evison
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Kathrin Mühlemann*
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
*
Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010 Bern, Switzerland ([email protected])

Abstract

We evaluated a double screening strategy for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients exposed to a newly detected MRSA carrier. If the first screening of the exposed patient yielded negative results, screening was repeated 4 days later. This strategy detected 12 (28%) of the 43 new MRSA carriers identified during the study period. The results suggest that there is an incubation period before MRSA carriage is detectable.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2008

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.Coia, JE, Duckworth, GJ, Edwards, DI, et al.Guidelines for the control and prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in healthcare facilities. J Hosp Infect 2006;63(suppl 1):S144.Google Scholar
2.Marschall, J, Mühlemann, K. Duration of methicillin-resistant Staphyolococcus aureus carriage, according to risk factors for acquistion. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006;27:12061212.Google Scholar
3.Fux, CA, Uehlinger, D, Bodmer, T, Droz, S, Zellweger, C, Muehlemann, K. Dynamics of hemodialysis catheter colonization by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005;26:567574.Google Scholar
4.Ridenour, GA, Wong, ES, Call, MA, Climo, MW. Duration of colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients in the intensive care unit: implications for intervention. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006;27:271278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Recommendations for preventing the spread of vancomycin resistance: Recommendations of the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). Am J Infect Control 1995;23:8794.Google Scholar
6.Thomas, JK, Forrest, A, Bhavnani, SM, et al.Pharmacodynamic evaluation of factors associated with the development of bacterial resistance in acutely ill patients during therapy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1998;42:521527.Google Scholar
7.Daeschlein, G, Assadian, O, Daxboeck, F, Kramer, A. Multiplex PCR-ELISA for direct detection of MRSA in nasal swabs advantageous for rapid identification of non-MRSA carriers. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2006;25:328330.Google Scholar
8.Mertz, D, Frei, R, Jaussi, B, et al.Throat swabs are necessary to reliably detect carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. Clin Infect Dis 2007;45:475477.Google Scholar