Table 1.
Study cohort including all patients who had tested MRSA positive at least once and had been re-admitted at least once (Patients’ characteristics/anatomical colonisation sites/topical decolonisation)
| Characteristics | Number (%; unless otherwise stated) |
|---|---|
| Number of patients | 403 |
| Male | 257 |
| Age >65 years | 121 |
| Age (years): (mean ± SD, median, range; 25-, 75-percentiles) | 52.9 ± 19.7, 57.0, 0–92; 41.0, 68.0 |
| Duration of observation period (days): (mean ± SD, median, range; and 25-, 75- percentiles) | 301.2 ± 271.5, 210, 1–1325; 94, 435 |
| MRSA status of patients at the time of discharge of their last observed admission during the study period | |
| At all subsequent discharges MRSA-positive | 238 (59.1%) |
| Only at the last observed re-admission MRSA-negative | 55 (13.6%) |
| At the last observed at least two re-admissions MRSA-negative | 61 (15.1%) |
| At one admission MRSA-negative followed by re-admission(s) with no confirmation of MRSA negativity | 22 (5.4%) |
| At subsequent admissions switching MRSA status (positive–negative–positive, positive–negative–positive–negative–positive) | 27 (6.7%) |
| Patients with MRSA colonisations at anatomical site groupsa | |
| Only nares | 48 (11.95%) |
| Nares and other anatomical sites but no wounds | 114 (28.3%) |
| Nares and other anatomical sites including wounds | 90 (22.3%) |
| Throat, mouth, tracheal secretion, bronchial secretion or BAL without nares | 38 (9.4%) |
| Only wounds | 21 (5.2%) |
| Wounds and other anatomical sites without nares | 38 (9.4%) |
| Other anatomical sites including urinary tract and ano-genital region without nares and without wounds | 34 (8.4%) |
| Any other anatomical sites which are not already described above | 19 (6.7%) |
| Unknown colonisation site | 1 (0.2%) |
| Single anatomical colonisation site | 84 (20.9%) |
| Multiple anatomical colonisation site | 318 (79.1%) |
| Topical decolonisation therapy initiated during the first MRSA-positive admissionb | 153 (38.8%) |
SD Standard deviation, MRSA methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, BAL bronchoalveolar lavage
aData from patients available for anatomical site determination, comprising results of screening cultures for nares, throats and wounds and cultures of clinical specimens
bOnly patients with available information for decolonisation were included (n = 394)