What is the Rate of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Infections in Open Fractures?

Background There have been increasing reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the community, but it is unclear whether infectious organisms in open fracture infections have changed and if our current regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis is therefore obsolete. Questions/Purposes We determined the recent incidence of MRSA and Gram-negative organism infections after open fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study on 189 patients with 202 open fractures treated from 2009 to 2010. During the followup, patients were evaluated for signs of infection using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. We determined the organisms using routine microbiology culture. The minimum followup was 3 months (median, 47 months; range, 3–108 months). Results Of the 202 open fractures, 20 (10%) developed infections. The most common organism was Staphylococcus, whereas five (25%) of those infected were positive for MRSA, and 11 (55%) of those with infection were cultured for at least one Gram-negative organism. Six (30%) open fractures had infections that grew out multiple organisms. The incidence of MRSA infections in our open fracture population was 2.5%. Conclusions There is a high incidence of MRSA and Gram-negative infections after open fractures, which may indicate that current antibiotic regimens need to be changed. Level of Evidence Level IV, retrospective case-series. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.