[Determination of nasal carriage rates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospital personnel and in the community].

In this study, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage rates in hospital staff and community were investigated. The study included 500 hospital personnel and 500 outpatients in Ibni Sina Hospital and Cebeci Hospital of Ankara University School of Medicine between January 1999-March 2001. Outpatients were assigned into the control group and hospital staff into the study group. MRSA nasal carriage rates of hospital staff and control group were found to be 6% and 2.6%, respectively, and the difference between these groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the nasal carriage rates among the different members of the hospital personnel such as physicians, nurses and auxilliary staff (p > 0.05), however the rates were higher especially in the personnel who were mainly working in the surgical wards and operating theaters.