SURVEILLANCE AND PROPHYLACTIC INTERVENTION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS NASAL COLONIZATION IN A HEMODIALYSIS UNIT

Surveillance of 101 hemodialysis patients for Staphylococcus aureus po sitive nasal cultures was performed by monthly nasal swabs over a 27-m onth period. All positive cultures were treated with a prophylactic an tibiotic regimen. Forty-seven (46.5%) patients had one or more positiv e cultures. The surveillance period was longer in the S. aureus nasal carriers (p = 0.004). The frequency of positive cultures correlated wi th the duration of surveillance (p = 0.029). The incidence of S. aureu s bacteremia was greater in patients with two or more positive culture s (p = 0.030). This study suggests that continuous surveillance for S. aureus nasal colonization is essential to properly identify all patie nts at risk of developing S. aureus bacteremias.