Association between nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and infection in liver transplant recipients

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Transplant Surgery
• Microbiology

Background:

• Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage is a known risk factor for infections.
• Liver transplant recipients are a vulnerable population for surgical site infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage and post-liver transplant infections.
• To determine the specific risks posed by methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carriage.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 87 liver transplant recipients.
• Pre-operative nasal swab screening for S. aureus (MSSA and MRSA).
• Analysis of infection rates in carriers versus non-carriers.

Main Results:

• MRSA nasal carriage was significantly associated with a high risk of MRSA infection (87.5% in carriers vs. 10.1% in non-carriers; P<.001).
• MSSA nasal carriage showed no significant association with MSSA infection (12.5% in carriers vs. 3.2% in non-carriers).

Conclusions:

• Nasal carriage of MRSA is a strong predictor of MRSA infection in liver transplant recipients.
• Pre-transplant screening for MRSA nasal carriage is recommended to mitigate infection risk.
• Targeted decolonization strategies for MRSA carriers may be beneficial.