High Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage rate in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS-related complex.

Staphylococcus aureus has been reported to cause a high number of infections and septicemias, often related to intravenous catheters, in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Our objective was to assess the frequency of S. aureus nasal carriage among patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex (ARC). The nasal carriage rate of S. aureus was determined within 24 hours of admission in 64 consecutively hospitalized patients with AIDS or ARC. Intravenous drug abusers were excluded. A control group of 64 patients with other diseases was also tested. Of 64 patients with AIDS or ARC, 35 (55%) were nasal carriers of S. aureus, compared with 18 (28%) of 64 control patients. Recent hospitalization did not influence carriage rate, nor did the recent use of antibiotics or zidovudine. The significant S. aureus carriage rate in patients with AIDS or ARC may contribute to the high incidence of intravenous catheter-related S. aureus infections in this population.