Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): An Interim Report of Carriage and Conversion Rates in Nursing Students

Colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthcare students: an integrative review

“…38 Studies have revealed high prevalence of MRSA in patients and healthcare professionals with exposure to the healthcare system. 23,38,39 However, the results systematized in the present study revealed that presence of MRSA has also been reported among non-hospitalized healthy individuals, such as undergraduate students, ranging from 0.0% to 15.3%. 14,25,26 Data in the literature have highlighted occurrences of MRSA infection in healthy populations that live in agglomerations or experience such conditions but which have little or no contact with healthcare services, as is the case of undergraduate students within the field of healthcare.…”

Staphylococcus, not MRSA? A Final Report of Carriage and Conversion Rates in Nursing Students

“…Nasal swabs were screened for S. aureus and MRSA using standard CLS protocols described previously. 12,13,19 A positive MRSA culture represented an end-point for participation in the study. For any presumptive positive MRSA result, a confirmatory sample was sent to a certified clinical laboratory.…”

“…Nasal swab specimens were then screened for S. aureus, species other than S. aureus, and MRSA using standard CLS protocols previously described. 19 Table 1 shows the percent of the sample that tested positive for each category of infection across 6 waves of data collection. Only staphylococci isolated from Wave 5 and Wave 6 were speciated due to limited funds available for the study.…”

“…Table 2 provides the percent of the sample with exposure to healthcare settings as a patient, worker/volunteer, and the percent of the sample having contact with a person diagnosed with MRSA, and involvement in gym or sport activities across all 6 waves. Upon review of the interim study, 19 the investigators were asked by reviewers to provide speciation of all staphylococcal species if possible for Waves 5 and 6. was S. epidermidis (25 isolates). This suggests that the composition of the microbial flora was dynamically changing over time.…”

“…An interim report (one year half-way point) of this study was published earlier. 19 Importantly, in this final report the authors document the staphylococcal variety and transition of species between the final two waves of collection. While it was surprising to observe an absence of MRSA isolates throughout the study, the colonization of nursing students by other species of Staphylococcus is clinically relevant because MRSA risk increases with this finding.…”