title: Sensitivities of nasal and rectal swabs for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in an active surveillance program.
abstract: All medical and high-risk surgical patients were screened for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization over 3.5 years. The sensitivities of nasal and rectal swabs were 68% and 62%, respectively. Naris and open-skin-site swabs detected 467 (74%) of 627 adult carriers identified. Rectal swabs detected an additional 160 (26%) carriers.
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control, North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Odrobina
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waldman
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomassi
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*