TITLE:
The Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Patients with Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections after Treatment with Linezolid or Vancomycin
AUTHORS:
Laura A. Puzniak, Kimbal D. Ford, David B. Huang
KEYWORDS:
Staphylococcus aureus, Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infection, Colonization, Linezolid
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.4 No.4,
November
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: Background: Complicated skin and skin
structure infections (cSSSIs) due to Staphylococcus aureus, including
methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), are associated with significant
morbidity. Re-ducing MRSA carriage has been a focus of infection control interventions.
The prevalence of MRSA colonization after successful treatment of a MRSA cSSSI
is unknown. Methods: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
comparing linezolid and vancomycin for the treatment of MRSA cSSSI. Adult
patients that had a colonization culture, confirmed MRSA cSSSI, received at
least one dose of study treatment, and had an outcome recorded at end of study.
Patient, clinical characteristics and prevalence of colonization were compared
by treatment regimens. A multivariate regression model identified predictors of
MRSA colonization at EOS. Results: There were 456 patients evaluated. The
prevalence of MRSA colonization was higher for vancomycin treated patients
compared to linezolid treated patients at end of treatment (EOT) (28% vs. 5%, p