Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus hospitalizations, United States

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a growing cause of hospital-acquired and community-onset infections.
• The national scope and magnitude of MRSA infections remain largely unknown.
• Accurate data on MRSA prevalence is crucial for effective public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the annual number of US hospitalizations with MRSA infections.
• To determine the proportion of S. aureus infections attributable to MRSA.
• To establish a method for assessing national MRSA infection trends.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Hospital Discharge Survey data.
• Identified S. aureus-specific diagnoses using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 codes.
• Calculated MRSA infections by multiplying S. aureus diagnoses by site-specific methicillin resistance proportions.

Main Results:

• An estimated 125,969 annual hospitalizations involved MRSA infections (1999-2000).
• Key diagnoses included septicemia (31,440), pneumonia (29,823), and other infections (64,706).
• MRSA accounted for 3.95 infections per 1,000 hospital discharges.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a quantifiable estimate of the MRSA burden in US hospitals.
• The methodology offers a feasible approach for monitoring national MRSA infection trends.
• Understanding MRSA prevalence is essential for infection control and resource allocation.