title: An investigation of the risk factors for infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients in a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of this study were to investigate the risk factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection among infants to establish effective infection control measures for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were prospectively collected from 961 infants hospitalized in a teaching hospital in Japan, from July 2002 through December 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all infants, 28 (2.9%) developed MRSA infections. Multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated the risk factors for developing MRSA infections to include a low birth weight (odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.99), the presence of eye mucous (OR, 6.78; 95% CI: 2.87-16.01), the practice of kangaroo mother care (OR, 3.82; 95% CI: 1.11-13.13), and the MRSA colonization rate (OR, 11.12; 95% CI: 1.32-93.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk factors for developing a MRSA infection among infants in NICU were a low birth weight, the presence of eye mucous, the practice of kangaroo mother care, and a high MRSA colonization rate. Therefore, extra attention should be given to infants in high-risk groups demonstrating a low birth weight and the presence of eye mucous and who have undergone kangaroo mother care. As a result, the cohort isolation of infants with MRSA may therefore be an effective strategy to prevent MRSA infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Administration, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. sakakih-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Haruyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaki
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control