Risk factors associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections in hospitalized patients in Colombia

•Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes community-acquired skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) as frequently as methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).•MRSA is the most important etiological agent in purulent SSTI.•Outpatient treatment in the previous index visit is a strong risk factor for MRSA SSTI.•Physicians should consider empirical therapy with activity against MRSA for purulent SSTI. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) represent a major clinical problem in Colombia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with MRSA SSTI in Colombia. A multicenter cohort study with nested case–control design was performed. Patients with an SSTI with at least 48h of inpatient care were included. Patients with an MRSA SSTI were considered the case group and patients with either a non-MRSA SSTI or with an Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) SSTI were the control groups. A multivariate logistic regression approach was used to evaluate risk factors associated with MRSA SSTI with two different statistical models. A total 1134 patients were included. Cultures were positive for 498 patients, of which 52% (n=259) were Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA was confirmed in 68.3% of the S. aureus cultures. In the first model, independent risk factors for MRSA SSTI were identified as the presence of abscess (P