title: Screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriers among patients and health care workers of a tertiary care hospital in south India.
abstract: A total of 200 subjects were screened for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at different sites using oxacillin blood agar and mannitol salt agar with oxacillin. Overall carriage rate was 8.5%, with the highest rate in inpatients (15.6%) while the lowest was seen in health care workers (1.8%). The commonest site of colonization was the anterior nares. Oxacillin blood agar was found to be superior to mannitol salt agar with oxacillin for the isolation of MRSA. Male sex and prolonged hospital stay were found to be the major risk factors for MRSA colonization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry 605 006, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mathanraj
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sujatha
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sivasangeetha
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Parija
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007902:Length of Stay; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media