Staphylococcus aureus carriage rate of patients receiving long-term hemodialysis.
We studied the carriage rate of Staphylococcus aureus in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis and also noted the incidence of shunt infections, bacteremia, and septicemia in colonized patients. Thirty-one of 50 patients (62%) carried S aureus in the nose, throat, or on the skin, of whom 20 patients developed shunt infections; nine infections resulted in episodes of bacteremia. Patients with chronic renal failure not undergoing hemodialysis had a 21% carriage rate. Thus, there is a high carriage rate of S aureus in asymptomatic patients receiving hemodialysis that is probably related to an increased incidence of shunt infections and bacteremia.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus