Differences in Pre- and Post-dischcarge Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rates by colonization status in US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals

摘要

BackgroundLittle is known about how MRSA infection rates differ between patients who are colonized on admission compared with those who acquire colonization during an inpatient stay. In addition, most studies focus on MRSA infections that are diagnosed prior to discharge while ignoring those that are identified post-discharge. The VA implemented an active surveillance program for MRSA in 2007 in which all inpatients are tested for MRSA on admission. This surveillance data along with the ability to follow patients longitudinally allowed us to estimate the difference in infection rates for those who import vs. those who acquire
MRSA colonization during their stay and to characterize post-discharge MRSA infections.