A Prevalence Study of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Emergency Department Health Care Workers

Study objectiveFew studies of the prevalence of nasal colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in emergency department (ED) health care workers have been conducted. To better understand the epidemiology of this pathogen, we seek to determine the MRSA nasal colonization rates in the ED health care workers in our hospital.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study on a convenience sample of ED health care workers, including nurses, physicians, and technicians. Nasal swabs from subjects were analyzed with a polymerase chain reaction assay for the presence of MRSA.ResultsOf the 105 ED health care workers enrolled, a total of 16 (15%, 95% confidence interval 9.6% to 23%) were MRSA positive. No significant difference was observed in colonization rates between nurses, physicians, and technicians.ConclusionOur ED health care workers demonstrated a high prevalence of nasal MRSA colonization compared with individuals in recent community surveillance and other studies involving ED staff.