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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

Changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in paediatric intensive-care units

C R Hermos1, T J Sandora, L E Williams

  • 1Division of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA. Christina.hermos@umassmemorial.org

Epidemiology and Infection
|November 30, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strains became more common in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). This shift indicates a growing prevalence of CA-MRSA colonization in critically ill children over time.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

  • Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is increasingly implicated in hospital-onset infections.
  • Patient colonization with MRSA is a significant risk factor for developing infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the changing prevalence of CA-MRSA colonization in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs).
  • To characterize the molecular epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of MRSA isolates from colonized pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 495 MRSA-colonized pediatric patients across various ICUs from 2001 to 2009.
  • Characterization of MRSA isolates using spa typing, SCCmec typing, and Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene detection.
  • Assessment of antibiotic susceptibility patterns over the study period.

Main Results:

  • The overall MRSA colonization rate remained stable at approximately 3.2%.
  • A significant temporal increase was observed in isolates with spa type 1 (up to 36.1%), SCCmec type IV (up to 54.2%), and PVL (up to 28.9%).
  • Increasing susceptibility to clindamycin, gentamicin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was noted.

Conclusions:

  • The proportion of CA-MRSA among colonized pediatric patients in ICUs significantly increased between 2001 and 2009.
  • This trend highlights a shift towards CA-MRSA strains in pediatric intensive care settings.
  • Evolving antibiotic susceptibility patterns warrant ongoing surveillance.

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