Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization, Behavioral Risk Factors, and Skin and Soft-Tissue Infection at an Ambulatory Clinic Serving a Large Population of HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases 2009-07, Vol.49 (1), p.118-121
• Main Authors: Szumowski, John D., Wener, Kenneth M., Gold, Howard S., Wong, Michael, Venkataraman, Lata, Runde, Carrie A., Cohen, Daniel E., Mayer, Kenneth H., Wright, Sharon B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Brief Reports; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Cohort Studies; Community health; Crystals; Drug use; Gays & lesbians; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; Homosexuality, Male; Human bacterial diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Men; Methamphetamine; Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Multivariate analysis; Nasal Cavity - microbiology; Operating rooms; Outpatients; Perineum - microbiology; Predisposing factors; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Sexual behavior; Skin; Soft Tissue Infections - epidemiology; Soft Tissue Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Skin Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus infections; Studies; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/599608

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 795 outpatients, many of whom were human immunodeficiency virus-infected men who have sex with men, to characterize risk of skin and soft-tissue infection (SSTI) associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nares and perianal colonization. Multivariate analysis revealed that perianal colonization, drug use, and prior SSTIs were strongly associated with development of an SSTI. Of the patients who were colonized with MRSA at study entry, 36.7% developed an SSTI during the ensuing 12 months, compared with 8.1% of persons who were not colonized with MRSA.