Abstract
Hospital-acquired infections with Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections, are a major cause of illness and death and impose serious economic costs on patients and hospitals. However, the recent magnitude and trend of these infections have not been reported. We used national hospitalization and resistance data to estimate the annual number of hospitalizations and deaths associated with S. aureus and MRSA from 1999 through 2005. During this period, the estimated number of S. aureus-related hospitalizations increased 62%, from 294,570 to 477,927, and the estimated number of MRSA-related hospitalizations more than doubled, from 127,036 to 278,203. Our findings suggest that S. aureus and MRSA should be considered a national priority for disease control.
Highlights
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections
Data from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system suggest that in intensive care units the proportion of S. aureus isolates that are resistant to methicillin has increased to 59.5%–64.4% [10,11]
We estimated the magnitude of the effect and trend in the incidence and associated mortality rates of infections related to S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) over a 7-year
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. It is the primary cause of lower respiratory tract infections and surgical site infections [1,2] and the second leading cause of nosocomial bacteremia [3], pneumonia, and cardiovascular infections [1,2]. Data from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system suggest that in intensive care units the proportion of S. aureus isolates that are resistant to methicillin has increased to 59.5%–64.4% [10,11]. Kuehnert et al estimated a similar number of S. aureus–related hospitalizations for 1999–2000 and reported that 43.2% [125,969] were likely resistant to methicillin [13].
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