Staphylococcal colonization of caretakers of children who have community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections.
OBJECTIVE
Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus is considered a risk factor for the rising incidence of pediatric community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections (CA-SSTIs), and intrafamily spread is thought to be the source of colonization.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted to determine skin and nasal staphylococcal colonization rates among the caretakers of CA-SSTI patients and those of nonabscess controls. A questionnaire regarding risk factors was administered to all participants. Fisher's Exact test and the chi(2) test were used for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
Forty-six patients and their caretakers were enrolled in both the study and control groups. Of the caretakers in the study group, 19.6% (n = 9) had staphylococcal colonization of nares; and 2.2% (n = 1), skin. In the control group, 17.4% (n = 8) had nasal colonization; and none had skin colonization. Of the children in the study group, 58.7% (n = 27) had a family history of CA-SSTI compared with only 17.4% (n = 8) of controls (P = .0001). Of CA-SSTI patients, 45.7% (n = 21) had prior abscesses compared with 6.5% (n = 3) of controls (P = .0001). No other risk factor was identified.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no increase in nasal or skin staphylococcal colonization among caretakers of children with CA-SSTI. Family and personal histories of CA-SSTI were the only identified risk factors for CA-SSTI.
McNamara
William F
WF
Department of Surgery, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; The Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Falk
Michael J
MJ
Lee
Yi-Horng
YH
D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification