Association between isolation sites of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients with MRSA-positive body sites and MRSA contamination in their surrounding environmental surfaces.

In 106 inpatients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-positive body sites, MRSA contamination on their surrounding environmental surfaces and the palm of their dominant hand were detected and quantified. The association between MRSA-positive sites (palm of dominant hand, sputum, nasal discharge, pharyngeal mucosa, open pus, closed pus, urine, feces, and others) in patients and MRSA contamination in their surrounding environmental surfaces was evaluated by quantification theory II of multivariate analysis. The surrounding environmental surfaces were contaminated with MRSA in 54 (50.9%) of the 106 patients. The contamination of MRSA was 380.2 +/- 2,198.0 colony forming units (cfu)/100 cm(2) in 41 (40.2%) of 102 bed linen samples, 15.2 +/- 69.5 cfu/100 cm(2) in 19 (22.4%) of 85 overbed table samples, 12.8 +/- 56.5 cfu/about 100 cm(2) in 18 (20.9%) of 86 bed side rail samples, and 0.2 +/- 1.3 cfu/entire handle surface in 2 (2.7%) of 74 samples of room door handles on the inner side of the patients' room doors. In the palm, 6,743.3 +/- 65,446.5 cfu/palm MRSA was detected in 29 (29.6%) of 98 patients. MRSA in patients' palms had the most marked influence on MRSA contamination of their surrounding environmental surfaces. When MRSA is detected in patients' palms the possibility of MRSA contamination of their surrounding environmental surfaces is high.