Summary
Objective
To estimate the relation between resistance to methicillin and virulence in strains ofStaph. aureus by estimating the survival at day 30.
Design
Case control analysis.
Setting
Inpatients at a major Cancer Referral Center.
Patients
21 patients with methicillin-resistantStaph. aureus (MRSA) bactaeremia and 45 patients with methicillin-susceptibleStaph. aureus (MSSA) bactaeremia, all treated with vancomycin.
Measurements and main results
Fewer MRSA than MSSA patients were neutropenic (p=0.04), but more MRSA patients were hospitalized in intensive care units (p=0.03), had had surgical episodes (p=0.06). MRSA patients also had more microbiological samples cultured (p=0.007). The outcome of the bacteriemic episodes in 14 MRSA and 14 MSSA patients matched for these four factors showed that blood cultures from MRSA patients remained positive significantly longer (p=0.04), but that survival and length of hospital stay were not significantly different.
Conclusions
These results do not indicate that methicillin-resistance inStaph. aureus is associated with increased virulence.
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Marty, L., Flahault, A., Suarez, B. et al. Resistance to methicillin and virulence ofStaphylococcus aureus strains in bacteriemic cancer patients. Intensive Care Med 19, 285–289 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01690549
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01690549