Prevalence and risk factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization among critically ill hospitalized patients in a tertiary care center in Houston, Texas: an active surveillance pilot project.

摘要

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase in the number of healthcare-associated infections, with an estimated 1.7 million infections resulting in approximately 99,000 deaths per year in the United States. Every year, more than 126,000 individuals who are hospitalized are infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In 2005, approximately 19,000 people died due to healthcare-associated or community-associated invasive MRSA infection during their hospital stay. Multidrug-resistant organisms, such as MRSA, were associated with increased durations of hospital stays and higher costs. The ongoing increase in the prevalence of MRSA infection has led various agencies to propose recommendations, guidelines, and programs to battle this emerging epidemic.