Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Suburban Hand Surgery Patient Population.

Publication/Presentation Date

3-1-2010

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent cause for patients to present to a physician's office or emergency department. We observed increasing numbers of community-acquired MRSA infections in patients admitted to the hand surgery service at our suburban academic center. It is an important issue as unsuspected community-acquired MRSA hand infections can be admitted to the hospital, inadequately treated, and allowed for nosocomial spread. This study was performed to examine the trend in the incidence of community-acquired MRSA infections in patients admitted to the hand surgery service in order to sensitize practitioners to have a high index of suspicion for this entity and promote early recognition and treatment of this organism. A multihospital retrospective chart review was undertaken to compare the total number of community-acquired MRSA infections in our hospital as well as the number in patients admitted to the hand surgery service with community-acquired MRSA from 2000 through 2008. Statistical analysis was provided by linear regression. Two community-acquired hand MRSA infections were treated in 2000, as compared to three in 2001 and 2002, four in 2003, five in 2004, six in 2005, 14 in 2006, 13 in 2007, and ten in 2008. This increase was statistically significant (p = 0.038). This retrospective review documents a rapidly rising number of community-acquired MRSA hand infections in the suburban environment. The hand surgeon must be aware of the increased prevalence of this entity to adequately combat this organism and prevent prolonged hospital stays, expanded morbidity, and inflated treatment costs.

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

65

Last Page

67

ISSN

1558-9455

Disciplines

Other Medical Specialties | Surgery

PubMedID

19582511

Department(s)

Department of Surgery, Department of Surgery Faculty

Document Type

Article

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS