Community-associated MRSA is a type of staph infection that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Previous research indicated an increase in SSTI visits associated with community-associated MRSA in the emergency department setting, and also suggested an increase across all ambulatory medical settings.
"In contrast with previous research, our study finds that SSTI visits to physicians' offices have not increased since the discovery of this ‘drug-resistant superbug' - community-associated MRSA," said Daniel Pallin, MD, MPH, lead author of the paper and Director of Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at BWH.
Because dermatitis, a disease of the skin, is also thought to increase the risk of SSTI, the researchers analyzed office visits at which patients were diagnosed with dermatitis or an SSTI to determine if the two conditions were linked, and if the link became stronger since the discovery of community-associated MRSA. Using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, data from 361,697 physicians' office visits were collected and the researchers calculated national estimates.
Pallin and colleagues found that dermatitis was diagnosed at 13 million office visits per year, and SSTI were diagnosed at 6.3 million visits per year, with the frequency of both diagnoses remaining unchanged over the study period of 13 years (1993-2005). They also found that dermatitis was associated with SSTI, but that the association did not strengthen over time, while community-associated MRSA became prevalent. The researchers also found that dermatitis is most commonly diagnosed in infants and small children, but that SSTI affect all age groups similarly.
"It appears that we are in the midst of an epidemic of skin and soft-tissue infections, likely due to community-associated MRSA. But we now know that the epidemic seems only to be affecting emergency department visit rates, not office visit rates. The reason for the disproportionate effect upon the emergency department is unknown. Though community-associated MRSA can rarely cause serious infections like pneumonia and septicemia, the importance of the epidemic should not be overblown, as most cases involve only mild superficial infections,"
About Brigham and Women's Hospital:-
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 777-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery network. In July of 2008, the hospital opened the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, the most advanced center of its kind. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. The BWH medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and its dedication to educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving more than 860 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by more than $416 M in funding. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information about BWH, please visit http://www.brighamandwomens.org/
