Preoperative prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in patients undergoing intranasal surgery.

BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to determine the rates of carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients undergoing intranasal surgery. MATERIAL/METHODS One hundred and sixty five patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient rhinologic surgery over a six-month period were enrolled in the study. Patients completed a short questionnaire prior to surgery. Culture swabs of the anterior nares and nasal vestibule were sent to the microbiology lab for evaluation for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Cultures were grown on a MRSA-specific agar plate and were considered final after 48 hours of incubation. The primary endpoint was a positive MRSA culture. RESULTS Of the one hundred fifty seven patients with nasal cultures taken, two had positive cultures for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Of those with positive cultures, both had a history of prior infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSIONS While antibiotic usage among the study group is far higher than the national average, the rates of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus mirrors that described in other studies for the general population. The authors conclude that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus does not represent a significant source of infection among those undergoing intranasal surgery.