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The risk of infection after nasal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus.
Am J Med. 2008 Apr;121(4):310-5
Authors: Safdar N, Bradley EA
PURPOSE: Nasal, axillary, or inguinal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus generally precedes invasive infection. Some studies have found that colonization with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) poses a greater risk of clinical infection than colonization with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). However, the magnitude of risk is unclear. METHODS: We undertook a systematic review to provide an overall estimate of the risk of infection following colonization with MRSA compared with colonization by MSSA. Ten observational studies, with a total of 1170 patients, were identified that provided data on both MSSA and MRSA colonization and infection. A random-effects model was used to obtain pooled estimates of the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Overall, colonization by MRSA was associated with a 4-fold increase in the risk of infection (odds ratio 4.08, 95% confidence interval, 2.10-7.44). Studies differed in the choice of patient population, severity of illness, and frequency of sampling to detect colonization. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to identify effective methods for sustained eradication of MRSA carriage to reduce the high risk of subsequent infection.
PMID: 18374690 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]