Impact of antibiotic treatment on the burden of nasal staphylococcus aureus among hospitalized patients

Abstract

We examined the impact of systemic antibiotics on the burden of nasal Staphylococcus aureus in hospitalized patients. Of 1,482 patients, 237 (16%) had nasal methicillinsusceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and 92 (6%) had nasal methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) on admission. Treatment regimens that included agents with inhibitory activity against MRSA or MSSA significantly reduced the burden of carriage, whereas regimens lacking anti-MRSA activity, including fluoroquinolones, promoted MRSA overgrowth.