Table 1.
Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Critically Ill Children Screened for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization at Time of Intensive Care Unit Admission
| Characteristics | |
| Total number of patients | 3140 |
| Median age, years (IQR) | 5.8 (1.0–12.8) |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 1744 (56) |
| Race, no. (%) | |
| Caucasian | 1637 (52) |
| African-American | 1106 (35) |
| Other | 397 (13) |
| ZIP code of residence, no. (%) | |
| Baltimore City | 989 (32) |
| Other | 2151 (68) |
| Insurance, no. (%) | |
| Private | 1668 (53) |
| Public | 1421 (45) |
| Self-pay | 40 (1) |
| Other | 11 (0.4) |
| MRSA colonized or infected at time of PICU admission, number (%) | 153 (4.9) |
| Previously but not currently MRSA Colonized at time of PICU admission, no. (%) | 43 (1.3) |
| Underlying conditions,a n (%) | |
| Neuromuscular | 1019 (32.4) |
| Cardiovascular | 704 (22.4) |
| Respiratory | 193 (6.1) |
| Renal | 130 (4.1) |
| Gastrointestinal | 75 (2.4) |
| Hematologic deficiencies and immunodeficiencies | 161 (5.1) |
| Metabolic | 139 (4.4) |
| Congenital and genetic | 391 (12.5) |
| Malignancy | 351 (11.2) |
| None | 1155 (36.8) |
| Length of hospital stay, median (IQR), days | 5 (4–11) |
| Length of ICU stay, median (IQR), days | 1.8 (1.0–3.7) |
Abbreviations: ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit.
a
Some patients had >1 underlying condition.