Risk factors for specific methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones in a Korean hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the risk factors for nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections caused by different clonal types.


METHODS
A total of 134 non-duplicate nosocomial MRSA isolates were analysed for clonal types by molecular typing techniques. The medical records of 90 patients who had documented MRSA infection were evaluated retrospectively.


RESULTS
Two predominant MRSA clones of sequence types (STs) ST239 (n = 75) and ST5 (n = 39) accounted for 85% of the isolates. Management of patients in the departments of orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery and plastic surgery was identified as a risk factor for infection with MRSA of ST239, while the presence of intravascular catheters was a risk factor for infection with ST5. Pulmonary infection was significantly higher in the patients infected with ST239 strains than in the patients infected with ST5 strains (P < 0.05). The overall mean duration of antimicrobial therapy for the patients with ST239 infection was significantly more than that for the patients with ST5 infection (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
ST239 and ST5 were the predominant MRSA clones in the study hospital. Risk factors were significantly different between ST239 and ST5 strains. The results of this study will be of use in designing larger prospective epidemiological studies for MRSA infection based on clonal types.
Department of Microbiology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu 700-422, Korea.
Dong Taek
DT
Cho
Hwa Yun
HY
Cha
Hyun-Ha
HH
Chang
Shin-Woo
SW
Kim
Jae Myung
JM
Chung
Jungmin
J
Kim
Yoo Chul
YC
Lee
Sung Yong
SY
Seol
Je Chul
JC
Lee
D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010346:Patient Care Management; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial