MRSA Related Hospitalizations Surge More Than 100%
Posted on December 7, 2007
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Hospitalizations caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are on the rise in the United States, ballooning 62% between 1999 and 2005. During the same period, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, accounted for a 119% jump in hospitalizations, reports a new study in the December 2007 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases published by the Centers for Disease Control.
The authors of the new study examined hospital discharge data from 1999 to 2005 and estimated that MRSA-related hospitalizations more than doubled, growing from 127,036 to 278,203. The estimated number of hospitalizations involving S. aureus–related infections also increased remarkably from 294,570 to 477,927.
So why is the rate of hospitalizations due to MRSA on the rise? “Contrary to the generally accepted view, community-associated MRSA strains may be spreading into the healthcare system rather than the other way around, ” the study authors suggested.
The study did not find a significant variation among geographic regions, with the rate of staph infections rising as follows:
- Northeast: 5% per year
- Midwest: 7% per year
- South: 7% per year
- West: 8% per year.
The rate of infections caused by the MRSA variety of staph rose 9% per year in the Northeast, 11% per year in the Midwest, and 12% per year in the South. Although the incidence of MRSA-related infections is lowest in the West, the rate of increase in the West was 18% per year during the study period.
Based on study findings, the researchers recommend prioritizing Staphylococcus aureus and more specifically, MRSA, in national disease control efforts. The study results indicate the need for expanded reporting requirements at the national level and increased research funding, as well as further inquiry into the relationship between community-acquired infections and hospital-acquired infections.
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