Abstract

Objective: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections
are significant causes of morbidity and mortality for the patients in neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU). The identification of risk factors that lead up to
the development of MRSA infections is of utmost importance in terms of preventing
infections.

In this study, we
aim to determine the risk factors of MRSA infections.

Material and Methods: This retrospective study
was conducted in a tertiary NICU between 1stJanuary 2011 and 31stDecember
2015. All patients with S. aureus
isolated from blood cultures were included in the study. According to the
antibiogram pattern, the patients were separated into two groups: MRSA and
methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA).

Results: S.
aureus infections were more frequent in infants
under 1500 g (2.27%) than in infants of 1500 g and above (0.23%) [OR=10.149,
CI: 5.790-17.790, p<0.001]. MSSA was identified in 79.6% (43 of 54) of
cases, and MRSA strains were identified in 20.4% (11 of 54) of cases. Although,
MRSA infections were more frequent in infants under 1500 g than in infants of
1500 g and above, there was no statistically significant association between
MRSA and birth weight [OR=1.580, CI: 0.366-6.831, p=0.728]. We found that birth
weight, gestational age, sex, SNAPPE score, therapeutic procedures (central
venous catheter, total parenteral nutrition, assisted ventilation) and
antibiotics used (prenatal or empirical) did not make a significant difference
in terms of methicillin resistance.









Conclusion: Very low birth weight is
the most important risk factor for both S.
aureus infections.

Keywords: Methicillin resistance, anti-bacterial agents, NICU, very low birth weight, central venous catheters

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How to cite

1.
Kulalı F, Bas AY, Erol S, Yucel H, Yaprak D, Arifoglu İ, et al. Incidence of and risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in a level III neonatal intensive care unit. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2019 Jul. 30 [cited 2025 May 24];13(4):263-9. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/591