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Higher prevalence of pharyngeal than nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage in pediatric intensive care units

Mari M Nakamura1, Alexander J McAdam, Thomas J Sandora

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA. mari.nakamura@childrens.harvard.edu

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|June 25, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Detecting Staphylococcus aureus colonization is crucial. Pharyngeal screening in pediatric intensive care units is more sensitive for identifying S. aureus colonization than nasal screening.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Sensitive detection of Staphylococcus aureus colonization is vital for epidemiology, infection control, and decolonization strategies.
  • Staphylococcus aureus is a significant pathogen, particularly in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the sensitivity of nasal versus pharyngeal sampling for detecting Staphylococcus aureus colonization.
  • To evaluate the optimal sampling site for S. aureus screening in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 331 children admitted to intensive care units.
  • Collection of nasal and pharyngeal samples for S. aureus colonization detection.
  • Statistical analysis to compare the sensitivity of the two sampling methods.

Main Results:

  • Pharyngeal screening demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity (92.6%) compared to nasal screening (63.1%) for S. aureus colonization (P < 0.0001).
  • The findings indicate a substantial difference in detection rates between the two sites.

Conclusions:

  • Pharyngeal sampling is a more sensitive method for detecting Staphylococcus aureus colonization in pediatric ICU patients.
  • These results suggest that pharyngeal screening should be considered for improved S. aureus surveillance and control in this population.

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