Volume 11, Number 6—June 2005
Dispatch
Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Switzerland
Stephan Harbarth*
, Patrice François*, Jacques Schrenzel*, Carolina Fankhauser-Rodriguez*, Stephane Hugonnet*, Thibaud Koessler*, Antoine Huyghe*, and Didier Pittet*
, Patrice François*, Jacques Schrenzel*, Carolina Fankhauser-Rodriguez*, Stephane Hugonnet*, Thibaud Koessler*, Antoine Huyghe*, and Didier Pittet*
Table
Characteristics of patients with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), compared to those of patients without MRSA and patients with healthcare-associated MRSA
| Characteristic | Patients with CA-MRSA (n = 13) (%) | Patients without MRSA (n = 1,542) (%) | p value* | Patients with healthcare-associated MRSA (n = 346) (%) | p value† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (y ± SD) | 45 ± 25 | 70 ± 18 | <0.001 | 75 ± 15 | <0.001 |
| Male sex | 6 (46) | 682 (44) | 1.0 | 199 (58) | 0.57 |
| Residency outside Switzerland | 6 (46) | 10 (1) | <0.001 | 8 (2) | <0.001 |
| Healthcare worker | 0 (0) | 31 (2) | 1.0 | 3 (1) | 1.0 |
| Emergency admission | 9 (69) | 724 (48) | 0.17 | 166 (48) | 0.16 |
| Severity of disease | |||||
| Presence of ≥1 coexisting condition | 8 (62) | 1,082 (70) | 0.55 | 289 (84) | 0.05 |
| Rapidly or ultimately fatal disease | 0 | 277 (18) | 0.11 | 95 (27) | 0.02 |
| Complete dependence for daily activities | 0 | 114 (7) | 0.62 | 57 (16) | 0.24 |
| Antimicrobial drug exposure | |||||
| Previous exposure (<6 mo) | 1 (8) | 318 (21) | 0.49 | 197 (57) | <0.001 |
| Current use at admission | 3 (23) | 148 (10) | 0.13 | 41 (12) | 0.21 |
| Presence at admission of indwelling urinary catheter | 0 | 73 (5) | 1.0 | 64 (19) | 0.14 |
| Open skin lesions | 2 (15) | 100 (6) | 0.21 | 65 (19) | 1.0 |
*Community-associated MRSA case-patients versus non-MRSA controls.
†Community-associated MRSA case-patients versus controls with healthcare-associated MRSA strains (SCCmec type I isolates).
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