Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Community-Dwelling People With Spinal Cord Dysfunction

Abstract Roghmann M-C, Gorman PH, Wallin MT, Kreisel K, Shurland S, Johnson JA. Staphylococcus aureus colonization in community-dwelling people with spinal cord dysfunction. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of and determine risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus colonization of the perineum. Design Cross-sectional study with follow-up of up to 1 year. Setting Multiple outpatient sites. Participants Eighty-four community-dwelling adults with spinal cord dysfunction (SCD). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Colonization of perineum with S. aureus. Results Overall, 24% of the study cohort carried S. aureus on their perineal skin at enrollment, with 16% having methicillin-susceptible S. aureus and 10% having methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Most perineal carriers were also colonized in the anterior nares. Participants with trauma as the cause of their SCD were more likely to be colonized with S. aureus than participants with SCD caused by multiple sclerosis or other causes (relative risk [RR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–6.6; P =.01). Participants with pelvic decubiti were more likely to be colonized with S. aureus than participants without pelvic decubiti (RR=4.3; 95% CI, 2.4–7.7; P