Risk factors and mortality in patients with nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia
Background
Infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus have become increasingly common in hospitals worldwide. S aureus continues to be a cause of nosocomial bacteremia.
Methods
We analyzed the clinical significance (mortality) of MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S aureus bacteremia in a retrospective cohort study in a 2900-bed tertiary referral medical center. Survival and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors and prognostic factors of mortality.
Results
During the 15-year period, 1148 patients were diagnosed with nosocomial S aureus bacteremia. After controlling potential risk factors for MRSA bacteremia on logistic regression analysis, service, admission days prior to bacteremia, age, mechanical ventilator, and central venous catheter (CVC) were independent risk factors for MRSA. The crude mortality rate of S aureus bacteremia was 44.1%. The difference between the mortality rates of MRSA (49.8%) and MSSA bacteremia (27.6%) was 22.2% (P < .001). Upon logistic regression analysis, the mortality with MRSA bacteremia was revealed to be 1.78 times higher than MSSA (P < .001). The other predicted prognostic factors included age, neoplasms, duration of hospital stay after bacteremia, presence of mechanical ventilator, and use of CVC.
Conclusions
Resistance to methicillin was an important independent prognostic factor for patients with S aureus bacteremia.
aSection of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
bDepartment of Infection Control, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Address correspondence to Fu-Der Wang, MD, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
None of the authors has any commercial or other association that might pose a conflict of interest.
This study was supported by a research grant from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
ABSTRACT