Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Swab Is Insufficient to Withhold Empiric Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia Coverage in a Trauma Population.

INTRODUCTION

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization is a predictor of MRSA pneumonia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Negative nasal swabs have shown up to a 97% negative predictive value for MRSA pneumonia in nontrauma populations, though little investigation has been pursued in trauma patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All trauma patients admitted to the ICU from April 2018 to February 2019 were screened for MRSA colonization by nasal swab. Patients with suspicion for pneumonia underwent bronchoalveolar lavage or quantitative sputum culture and were started on empiric antibiotic therapy based on the swab result. Swab-positive patients were started on empiric MRSA coverage and swab-negative patients were not.

RESULTS

MRSA nasal swab screening was performed in 601 trauma ICU patients. Ninety-six patients subsequently underwent pneumonia workup and were started on an empiric antibiotic regimen based on nasal swab results. Seventeen (17.7%) patients were MRSA nasal swab positive on screening, and 22 (22.9%) patients subsequently had significant growth of MRSA on quantitative respiratory culture. The sensitivity of nasal swab was 50.0% and the specificity was 91.9%. Eleven patients had a negative MRSA nasal swab but a positive MRSA pneumonia (11.5%). Patients with inadequate antibiotic coverage had statistically longer hospital length of stay, ICU length of stay, ventilator days, and rates of unplanned intubation compared to patients with adequate antibiotic coverage.

CONCLUSIONS

Nasal swab screening was not sensitive enough in a trauma population with a high endemic incidence of MRSA colonization to warrant withholding empiric antibiotic MRSA coverage in patients with suspected pneumonia.