title: Frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization among patients suffering from methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine rate of nasal colonization in Patients suffering from bacteraemia caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in a tertiary ca re, University Teaching Hospital (Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore) from October 2010 to August 2011. Nasal swabs were taken from patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia and were plated on mannitol salt agar plates to isolate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) which were then tested for oxacillin susceptibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nasal colonization was present in 52.5% of patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nasal colonization rates with MRSA were high among patients suffering from MRSA bacteraemia especially in those undergoing dialysis or surgical procedures. Therefore, screening and nasal decolonization should be practiced in hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Nadia Aslam, M. Phil, Department of Pathology, Sargodha Medical College, Sargodha, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.affiliation: Mateen Izhar, PhD, Head of Microbiology Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mateen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izhar
authors.affiliation: Naima Mehdi, M.Phil, Department of Microbiology, The Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Naima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehdi
keywords: Bacteraemia; Nasal colonization