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Epidemiology of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Philip L. Graham III
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Anne-Sophie Morel
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Juyan Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Fann Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Columbia University, New York, New York
Phyllis Della-Latta
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Columbia University, New York, New York
David Rubenstein
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Lisa Saiman*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, New York
*
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, 622 W. 168th St., PH 4 West Rm. 470 New York, NY 10032

Abstract

Objective:

When the incidence of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection or colonization increased in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), we sought to further our understanding of the relationship among colonization with MSSA, endemic infection, and clonal spread.

Design:

A retrospective cohort study was used to determine risk factors for acquisition of a predominant clone of MSSA (clone “B”).

Setting:

A 45-bed, university-affiliated, level III-IV NICU.

Patients:

Infants hospitalized in the NICU from October 1999 to September 2000.

Interventions:

Infection control strategies included surveillance cultures of infants, cohorting infected or colonized infants, contact precautions, universal glove use, mupirocin treatment of the anterior nares of all infants in the NICU, and a hexachlorophene bath for infants weighing 1,500 g or more.

Results:

During the 1-year study period, three periods of increased incidence of MSSA colonization or infection, ranging from 6.4 to 13.5 cases per 1,000 patient-days per month, were observed. Molecular typing using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated two predominant clones, clone “B” and clone “G,” corresponding to two periods of increased incidence. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that length of stay (OR, 1.035; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 1.008 to 1.062; P = .010) (increased risk per day) and the use of H2-blockers (OR, 20.44; CI95, 2.48 to 168.26; P = .005) were risk factors for either colonization or infection with clone “B,” and that the use of peripheral catheters was protective (OR, 0.06; CI95, 0.01 to 0.43; P = .005).

Conclusions:

Control of MSSA represents unique challenges as colonization is expected, endemic infections are tolerated, and surveillance efforts generally focus on multidrug-resistant pathogens. Future studies should address cost-effective surveillance strategies for endemic infections.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2002

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