title: Incidence and epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a Saudi Arabian Hospital, 1999-2003.
abstract: During 1999-2003 in a Saudi Arabian Hospital, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus constituted 6% of all S. aureus isolates; the proportion had increased from 2% in 1999, to 9.7% in 2002, to 8% in 2003. Of all MRSA isolates, 62% represented community-acquired infection, 20.4% represented healthcare-associated infection, and 17.6% represented nosocomial infection. The proportion of community-acquired isolates increased from 41.7% in 1999 to 66.6% in 2002, and the proportion representing nosocomial infection decreased from 33% in 1999 to 19% in 2003. Isolates representing nosocomial infection showed higher rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin (76.6%), clindamycin (76.6%), erythromycin (68%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (68%) than did isolates in the other categories (P<.001).
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Services Division, Dhahran Health Center, Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. jaffar.tawfiq@aramco.com
authors.forename: Jaffar A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Al-Tawfiq
mesh_terms: D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*