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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
Health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections increases the risk of postdischarge
Richard E Nelson1, Vanessa W Stevens2, Makoto Jones1
1IDEAS Center, Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health System, Salt Lake City, UT; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Background:
Although many studies have estimated the impact of health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections on mortality during initial hospitalization, little is known about the long-term risk of death in these patients. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of MRSA health care-acquired infections (HAIs) on mortality after hospital discharge.
Methods:
Our study cohort consisted of patients with inpatient admission within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs system between October 1, 2007, and September 30, 2010. Of these patients, we identified those with a positive MRSA culture from electronic microbiology reports. We constructed multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions to assess the impact of a positive culture on postdischarge mortality in the 365 days following discharge using both the full cohort and a propensity score-matched subsample.
Results:
In our analysis cohort of 369,743 inpatients, positive MRSA cultures were recorded in 3,599 (1.0%) patients. We found that positive cultures resulted in an increased risk of postdischarge mortality both in the full cohort (hazard ratio = 1.42, P < .001) and in the subset of propensity score-matched patients (hazard ratio = 1.37, P < .0001).
Conclusion:
We found that MRSA HAIs significantly elevate the long-term risk of mortality. These results underscore the importance of infection prevention efforts in the hospital.
Insights
Health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections increase the long-term risk of death after hospital discharge. This highlights the critical need for robust infection prevention strategies in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Limited data exists on the long-term mortality risk associated with health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections post-hospitalization.
- Previous research primarily focused on mortality during the initial hospital stay.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impact of MRSA health care-acquired infections (HAIs) on patient mortality for up to 365 days after hospital discharge.
- To assess the long-term survival outcomes for patients with MRSA HAIs.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 369,743 inpatients from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs system (2007-2010) was analyzed.
- Patients with positive MRSA cultures were identified using electronic microbiology reports.
- Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions were employed to evaluate postdischarge mortality risk.
Main Results:
- 1.0% of patients (3,599) had positive MRSA cultures.
- MRSA HAIs were associated with a significantly increased risk of postdischarge mortality (HR=1.42, P<.001 in the full cohort; HR=1.37, P<.0001 in matched subsample).
Conclusions:
- MRSA HAIs substantially elevate the long-term risk of mortality beyond initial hospitalization.
- These findings emphasize the critical importance of implementing and strengthening infection prevention measures within healthcare facilities to mitigate long-term patient harm.
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