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Methicillin‐resistant S taphylococcus aureus in children with atopic dermatitis from 1999 to 2014: A longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Chaptini Cassandra,
Quinn Steve,
Marshman Gillian
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/ajd.12371
Subject(s) - medicine , atopic dermatitis , staphylococcus aureus , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , population , staphylococcal infections , logistic regression , retrospective cohort study , pediatrics , dermatology , environmental health , genetics , bacteria , biology
Background/Objectives With the increase in rates of methicillin‐resistant S taphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) skin infections in the general population, there may be a similar increase of such infections in patients with atopic dermatitis ( AD ). There are few studies on MRSA prevalence in the AD population, and no previous studies in A ustralia. This study investigated the prevalence of MRSA and other organisms in the paediatric AD population over the previous 15 years. Methods Skin swab results and other significant data, including patients' characteristics and comorbidities, were collected on patients with AD aged 0–18 years, admitted to a large teaching hospital in S outh A ustralia from 1999 to 2014 ( N = 298). This longitudinal, retrospective study investigated, using logistic regression, the change of prevalence of MRSA , methicillin‐sensitive S . aureus ( MSSA ) and S treptococcus spp. in AD over the past 15 years. Results Compared with 1999–2002, in 2003–2006 patients were approximately threefold more likely ( P = 0.350), in 2007–2010 they were approximately 13‐fold more likely ( P = 0.030) and in 2011–2014 they were approximately 24‐fold more likely to test positive for MRSA ( P = 0.008), despite low absolute MRSA numbers. There was a positive association between the number of previous hospital admissions per patient and MRSA ( OR = 1.16 [1.08–1.25], P = 0.000). In contrast, there was no change in the prevalence of MSSA or S treptococcus spp . over time. Conclusion The prevalence of MRSA in children with AD is clearly on the rise. This has negative consequences for individuals with AD and is also a major public health problem.