Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

The prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization among emergency medicine services (EMS) personnel is not well studied. MRSA colonization can be a health hazard for personnel and patients. I hypothesized that the prevalence of MRSA colonization among EMS Personnel is higher than among the general population. MRSA colonization among EMS personnel selected from two different jurisdictions in the USA was investigated. Nasal swabbing was performed and inoculated onto a special agar medium (C-MRSAgar). Polymerase chain reaction test was performed. Samples and data were collected from 110 volunteers. Among the subjects seven samples were positive for MRSA (6.4% P ¿ 0.0003; 95% CI [0.018, 0.110]). The prevalence of MRSA colonization among the general population is 1.5%. There is evidence that EMS personnel have a higher prevalence of MRSA colonization than the general population. This can be a risk to patients and an occupational hazard.