People who unknowingly carry methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are twice as likely to die within the next decade.
- MRSA is resistant to antibiotics and the risk of developing an infection is high.
- The mortality rate climbs from 18% to 36% in carriers of MRSA.
Unless you develop an infection or are tested for the bacteria, it is usually difficult to know whether or not you carry this staphylococcus. “Very few people with MRSA know they have this bacteria, but we found a distinct link between people with undetected MRSA and premature death“says the lead author of the study, Arch G. Mainous.
MRSA is all the more difficult to treat as it is resistant to antibiotics. Patients hospitalized with colonized MRSA may be particularly vulnerable to developing an infection during a hospital stay or after discharge. Wounds, surgical incisions, and use of medical devices, such as catheters, can also lead to MRSA infection in carriers.
Published in the Journal of American Board Family Medicinethe study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a large national study conducted between 2001 and 2004, which combines survey questions and laboratory tests, including nasal swabs to detect the presence of MRSA.
A mortality rate that climbs 18% to 36% for MRSA
The researchers compared the data and deaths of participants aged 40 to 85 with those corresponding to the national death index over an 11-year period. The researchers took into account many potential confounders (gender, ethnicity, patient income, hospitalization in the previous 12 months, and medical diagnosis of heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.)
The study authors found that the death rate in participants without MRSA was around 18%, but in those with MRSA, the rate jumped to 36%. This increased risk of premature death was not observed in participants who had staphylococci on the skin but did not have MRSA. “Without a consistent strategy, we are missing an opportunity to help prevent MRSA deaths“, insists Professor Mainous.
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 119,000 Americans fell victim to a staph bloodstream infection in 2017 and nearly 20,000 died from it.
