We set out to determine whether nasal swab isolates can identify methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization and guide therapy in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI).
Among hospitalized patients admitted to a general medicine service with SSTI, specificity
and positive predictive value for MRSA in nasal swab isolates were 100%; sensitivity
was 55%. Thus, positive nasal swab cultures may help identify MRSA colonization and
guide antimicrobial therapy for SSTI when wound cultures cannot be obtained.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 26, 2010
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
