[Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on admission to a geriatric hospital]

We studied the rate of isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from throat cultures obtained from elderly patients. The subjects were 151 consecutive patients admitted to Kitakyusyu Tsuyazaki Hospital from December 1994 to November 1995. MRSA was found more frequently in samples obtained from patients transferred from other hospitals or from nursing homes than in samples from those admitted from their own homes. Patients transferred from other hospitals or from nursing homes had lower levels of serum total protein, albumin, and hemoglobin, and also lower scores for activities of daily living than did those admitted from their own homes. Status prior to admission, nutrition, and the scores for activities of daily living may explain the differences in the rate of isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients admitted to geriatric hospitals.