2016 Volume 65 Issue 4 Pages 436-440
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a significant problem associated with hospital-acquired infections. Thus, we implemented a survey of the MRSA carrier in inpatients over 70 years of age, and we identified the risk factors associated with MRSA colonization and evaluated the efficiency of the surveillance. The surveillance was conducted using 394 inpatient samples obtained between April and June 2013. The total number of MRSA colonizations was 39 (10.7%), and the carriage rate of MRSA of inpatients in welfare facilities (20.7%) was significantly higher than that in homes (6.0%) in this surveillance. Being an inpatient in welfare facilities was the only significant risk factor for MRSA carriage. Surveillance the following year, average number of patients with MRSA are decreasing. This means that surveillance was considered effective in preventing hospital-acquired infections. In conclusion, we concluded that MRSA surveillance implementation and/or precautions against contact transmission for inpatients in welfare facilities will lead to better infection control.
