Risk Factors for Colonization with Methicillin‐Resistant<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>(MRSA) in Patients Admitted to an Urban Hospital: Emergence of Community‐Associated MRSA Nasal Carriage

Abstract

The prevalence of MRSA colonization at the time of patient admission was high (>7%). Limiting surveillance cultures to patients with >or=1 of the identified risk factors may allow for targeted screening. The emergence of CA-MRSA colonization represents a new, unrecognized reservoir of MRSA within hospitals, potentially increasing the risk for horizontal transmission.