Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolation from pharyngeal swab cultures among the Japanese elderly at admission to a geriatric hospital

The isolation rate of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) an d Pseudomonas aeruginosa from pharyngeal swab cultures in the Japanese elde rly was studied at admission to a geriatric hospital which had long-term ca re units. The subjects were 233 consecutive patients who were admitted to K Hospital in the time period April 1994 to March 1996. The isolation rate o f MRSA and of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 10.3% and 8.2% respectively. The p roportions of the patients with severely to moderately limited Activities o f Daily Living (ADL) (ADL score = 0-1) (P < 0.01), those with fever (P < 0. 01), those with CRP positive (P=0.04) and those with hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin < 3.5 g/dl) (P < 0.01) were higher in the MRSA positive patients t han in the negative patients while the proportion of the patients with feve r was higher in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa positive patients than in the ne gative patients (P<0.02). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the limitation of ADL (ADL score 0-1 vs 2-3, OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.02-2.33) an d fever (with vs without, OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.18-2.66) remained as risk f actors for the isolation of MRSA while only fever (with vs without, OR = 1. 67, 95% CI = 1.11-2.53) remained as a risk factor for the isolation of Pseu domonas aeruginosa.