methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus in ventilator associated ‎pneumonia in toxicological intensive care unit

background: methicillin resistant staphylococus aureus (mrsa) is a cause of ‎nosocomial infections at intensive care unit (icu), which imposes a high mortality and ‎morbidity on the health care systems.‎ the objective of this study was to evaluate the role of mrsa in patients with clinically ‎suspected ventilator associated pneumonia (vap) in toxicological icu admitted ‎patients.methods: this cross-sectional study was performed over a period of six months from ‎august 2009 to february 2010. a total of 84 patients with clinically suspected vap were ‎selected from all 381 icu admitted patients under mechanical ventilation for more than ‎‎48 hours. mrsa screen agar was used to detect resistance in staph aureus ‎specimens. mrsa was determined as the main outcome.‎ results: mrsa was the cause in 54% of staph aureus infected vaps. although ‎mrsa infection was not significantly associated with age, gender, cause of poisoning, ‎chronic disease, paraclinical findings, length of hospital stay, and antibiotic prescription ‎‎(p>0.05 for all comparisons), it was reported higher in those who expired than those ‎who survived (66.7% vs. 31.9%, p<0.012)‎.conclusion: in the main referral toxicological icu in tehran, in more than 1 of 3 ‎clinically suspected vap cases, mrsa was seen which was associated with the poorer ‎outcome, higher inpatient mortality.‎