title: Detection and clinical relevance of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage: an update.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage is a well-defined risk factor of infection with this bacterium. The increased risk of S. aureus infection in nasal carriers is supported by the fact that the strains isolated from both colonization and infection sites are indistinguishable in most of the cases. Persistent nasal carriage seems to be associated with an increased risk of infection and this status could be defined now in clinical routine by using one or two quantitative nasal samples. There is evidence for supporting the detection of nasal carriage of S. aureus in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and in those undergoing hemodialysis in order to implement decolonization measures. More studies are needed to determine which carriers have the highest risk of infection and why decolonization strategies failed to reduce S. aureus infection in some other groups of patients.
authors.affiliation: GIMAP EA 3064 (Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes), University of Lyon, 42023 Saint-Etienne, France.
authors.forename: Paul O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gagnaire
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Botelho-Nevers
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grattard
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carricajo
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucht
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pozzetto
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthelot
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*