Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in patients hospitalized in ICUs in Qazvin's university hospitals-2006

The patients admitted in the ICU, have dysfunctions in one or more organs,especially, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. ICU is burdened with virulent bacteria and often highly resistants. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus.aureus (MRSA) is one of important problem in the ICUs.The world-wide importance of “MRSA” encourage us to propose this study. The aim of this study wasto determine the prevalence of methicillin- resistant S.aureus colonization in patients hospitalized in ICUs in Qazvin’s university hospitals. This study occurred out during 6 months period (July through December,2006). Nasal swab specimens were collected on the admission and the discharge of patients admitted in ICUs university hospitals of Qazvin. After isolation and identification the strains, the methicillin resistance was determined by Clinical and laboratory standards institute(CLSI) oxacillin screening plate method. Other information were collected by uestionnaire. The data were analyzed by Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. A total number of 265 patients (1 day to 88 years old) were studied. The carrier state of methicillinsensitive S. aureus (MSSA), and MRSA strains were 52 (19.6%), and 32 (12.4%) respectively. Cultures from 174 (65.7%) patients were negative. From this 174 remainder, on discharging 11 (6.3%), and 40 (23%) patients were colonized with MSSA, and MRSA strains respectively. Ceftriaxone was more administrated antibiotic. There was a significant correlation between colonization with MRSA strains and length of ICU stay (P<0.05). Although colonization happened more to patients, who had “diabet”, urinary catheter, and prescription of “ceftriaxon”, but we found no significant relationship (P>0.05). Our findings confirm the presence of MRSA strain in population in Qazvin city. The incidence of colonization with MRSA strain, in comparison of the carrier state with the same strain, was 1.9 times. The ICUs wards are contaminated with this strain and so spreads among community. MRSA colonization had a significant association with length of ICU stay.