Sensitivities of nasal and rectal swabs for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in an active surveillance program.
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.
Currie
Andrea
A
Infection Prevention and Control, North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Davis
Linda
L
Odrobina
Ewa
E
Waldman
Suzanne
S
White
Diane
D
Tomassi
Joanne
J
Katz
Kevin C
KC
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*