|
Risk factors for MRSA |
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| Variable |
Hypothesized relationship to MRSA |
Found to be Predictive |
|
|
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| Age |
Youth increases likelihood of engaging in other risky behaviors, i.e. drug use, sports, promiscuous sex |
Yes |
| Race |
Unknown, previously described in Frazee1 |
No |
| BMI |
Elevated BMI suspected to impair ability to enact good hygiene |
No |
| Homelessness |
Suspected to impair ability to enact good hygiene |
No |
| Group home |
Increases skin to skin contact, communal living |
Yes |
| Nursing home |
Exposes one to hospital acquired pathogens |
No |
| Incarceration, or contact with incarcerated person |
Increases skin to skin contact, poor hygiene, transmission to family and friends |
Yes |
| IV drug use |
Inoculates bacteria directly into skin |
No |
| Sexual contact |
Increases skin to skin contact |
Yes |
| Occupation in healthcare |
Exposes to hospital acquired pathogens |
No |
| Recent skin infection |
Points to colonization with MRSA |
No |
| Lesion characteristics (abscess/cellulitis) |
MRSA tends to form abscesses or furuncles, rather than cellulitis3 |
Yes |
| Lesion location |
Lesions in pelvic area lower risk given suspected higher incidence of fecal flora |
No |
| Number of lesions |
Increased number of lesions suspected to correlate with MRSA due to increased invasiveness of MRSA |
No |
| Spontaneous vs. pre-existing wound |
Spontaneous infections higher risk based on increased invasiveness of MRSA |
No |
Jacobus et al. BMC Emergency Medicine 2007 7:19 doi:10.1186/1471-227X-7-19 |
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