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[Carrier state and spread of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus following hospital discharge]
J W Zetsma1, L Spanjaard, J Dankert
1Afd. Medische Microbiologie, Academisch Ziekenhuis bij de Universiteit van Amsterdam.
Objective:
To determine whether patients colonised with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remain carriers after discharge from hospital and whether transmission of MRSA to the community occurs.
Design:
Prospective and retrospective study.
Patients And Methods:
Fifteen patients colonized with MRSA and admitted to the University Hospital of the University of Amsterdam between January 1991 and September 1992 were screened for MRSA after their discharge from hospital (350 days median). Their family members and domestic animals were screened at the same time.
Results:
Cultures from 50 people (15 ex-patients, 35 family members) and II animals were investigated for presence of MRSA. Two (13%; 95% confidence interval: 2-40%) patients still carried the MRSA strain. Both still had risk factors for carriage of the bacteria. No MRSA was found in cultures from family members or domestic animals.
Conclusions:
Long term carriage of MRSA outside the hospital occurs infrequently and is closely related to predisposing factors of the patient. Transmission of MRSA to healthy individuals could not be demonstrated.