title: Staphylococcus aureus colonization among nursing home residents in a large Finnish nursing home.
abstract: We studied colonization with methicillin-resistant and -sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, MSSA) in the second largest nursing home in Finland, in which the residents volunteered had their nostrils, throats, perineums, skin lesions, and catheter exit sites swabbed, and catheter urines cultured. The specimens were cultured onto non-selective and selective agar, with or without enrichment in salt-containing trypticase soy broth (TSB). S. aureus was identified by routine methods, methicillin resistance was detected by oxacillin and cefoxitin disk diffusion and MIC E-tests, and GenoType MRSA -test was used for mecA gene confirmation. A total of 663 cultures were obtained from 213 residents. Of those, 165 specimens (25%) from 94 residents (44%) were positive for S. aureus, and 3 specimens (0.4%) from 2 (0.9%) residents were positive for MRSA. Of the 165 S. aureus isolates, 31 (19%) from 25 (27%) residents were found only from sites other than nostrils (30 MSSA and 1 MRSA). TSB enrichment detected additional 33 (5%) S. aureus isolates (32 MSSA and 1 MRSA), resulting in 8 (5%) additional residents. None of the MRSA strains would have been found if only nostrils and throat had been screened, and no enrichment broth had been used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacterial and Inflammatory Diseases, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie, Helsinki, Finland. anne-marie.kerttula@ktl.fi
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kerttula
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lyytikäinen
authors.forename: Anni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virolainen
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Finne-Soveri
authors.forename: Niina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agthe
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vuopio-Varkila
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002353:Carrier State; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009735:Nursing Homes; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents