Cutaneous methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a suburban community hospital pediatric emergency department.
BACKGROUND
Studies on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have typically focused on pediatric and adult populations at urban tertiary care hospitals. Limited data exist on MRSA rates in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) in suburban community hospital pediatric emergency departments (PED).


OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of MRSA in SSTIs in a contemporary suburban community hospital PED population.


METHODS
Patients 0-21 years old with SSTI wound cultures who were seen at our PED from 2003-2007 were studied. Data analyzed included type of infection (abscess vs. non-abscess), site of infection, and culture results. Chi-squared and t-tests were used as appropriate; p < 0.05 was considered significant.


RESULTS
During the study period, 204 cultures were obtained for SSTIs, 11 of which were contaminants. The subjects had a mean age of 12.9 years (SD 6.8 years); 60% were male. The prevalence of MRSA was 27%; MRSA was present in 30% of abscesses vs. 2.2% of non-abscess SSTI (p < 0.005). By year, the prevalence of MRSA was 10% in 2003, 31% in 2004, 33% in 2005, 31% in 2006, and 29% in 2007. No differences between MRSA and non-MRSA infections were present for gender, age, or site of infection.


CONCLUSIONS
At our suburban community hospital pediatric ED, MRSA was present in 30% of all SSTI wound cultures; MRSA was unlikely with non-abscess SSTI. Our overall MRSA prevalence data among SSTIs are consistent with previously published reports in pediatric ED populations but may be less than those reported in the adult literature.
Kairam
Neeraja
N
Department of Emergency Medicine, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, New Jersey 07960, USA.
Silverman
Michael E
ME
Salo
David F
DF
Baorto
Elizabeth
E
Lee
Ben
B
Amato
Christopher S
CS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult