High rate of methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from hospitalized nursing home patients

Abstract

• Three series of studies were conducted between 1984 and 1986 at two community hospitals in Chicago to determine the frequency of methicillin resistance of<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>isolated from hospitalized nursing home patients. Overall, 76 (49%) of 155 patients with<i>S aureus</i>clinical isolates admitted from 25 nursing homes had methicillin-resistant<i>S aureus</i>. In 1986, 53.1% of patients with<i>S aureus</i>infection or colonization among nursing home patients had the resistant strain, in contrast with 13.2% among patients from the community. A high incidence of methicillin-resistant<i>S aureus</i>infection or colonization is a clinical feature of nursing home patients. This observation may lead to an improvement in the clinical management of the patients suspected of having<i>S aureus</i>infection and alterations in the current policy of nursing homes that bar admission of patients carrying the resistant bacteria. (<i>Arch Intern Med</i>1988;148:569-570)