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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in a pediatric intensive care unit

Khaled Menif1, Asma Bouziri, Ammar Khaldi

  • 1Pediatric intensive care unit, Children's Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. menifkhaled@yahoo.fr

Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
|August 16, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Severe community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections in children primarily present as pneumonia. This study found a lower mortality rate for pediatric CA-MRSA infections than previously reported.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a growing global health concern.
  • Data on pediatric CA-MRSA infections in developing nations is limited.
  • This study addresses the need for data on severe CA-MRSA infections in children in Tunisia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical features and outcomes of severe CA-MRSA infections in children.
  • To assess the incidence and characteristics of CA-MRSA infections in a Tunisian pediatric intensive care unit.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients.
  • Analysis of cases coded for CA-MRSA over a 10-year period.
  • Focus on severe CA-MRSA infections in a pediatric intensive care unit setting.

Main Results:

  • 14 cases of severe CA-MRSA infections were identified, representing 0.32% of admissions.
  • Pulmonary involvement was universal; 42.8% developed septic shock.
  • 14.3% experienced multifocal infection with deep venous thrombosis, and 14.3% died.

Conclusions:

  • Severe CA-MRSA pneumonia was the predominant clinical presentation.
  • The observed mortality rate in this cohort was lower than previously documented in the literature.
Abstract

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