Abstract:
Background: Preoperative nasal colonization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus is
the major concern in Surgical Site Infections(SSIs) and makes treatment with common drugs
worthless. Evidence on the prevalence and factors affecting preoperative colonization of MRSA
is important for planning targeted infection control intervention, especially in developing
countries like Ethiopia where information is scares.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nasal colonization of MRSA,
Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and associated factors among preoperative adult patients in
Arba Minch General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia.
Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October, 2023
January, 2024. A total of 422 participants were selected by systematic random sampling
technique. Socio-demographic data were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured
questionnaire. Nasal swabs were collected and S. aureus was identified following standard
microbiological methods. MRSA was detected using a cefoxitin disc and the antimicrobial
resistance profile of MRSA was detected using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion on Muller Hinton
Agar following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI) 2023 guidelines. The data
were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS) version 27. P-value <0.05
was considered statistically significant.
Result: The prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA among preoperative patients was found to be
31.51% (133/422) with 95% CI: (26.5-35.8%) and 13.74%(58/422) with 95% CI: (10.4-17.3%)
respectively. Of the MRSA isolates, 40(68.96%) were considered Multi-Drug Resistant(MDR).
Age (50-59) (AOR =5.06; 95% CI: (1.79-14.32), Sex(male)(AOR = 0.336; 95% CI: (0.16-0.69),
Hospitalization within the last year, (AOR = 2.29; 95% CI: (1.19-4.39), Diabetic mellitus. (AOR
= 8.17; 95% CI: (3.87-17.26) and Current smoking (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI: (0.03-0.83) were
found to have a significant association with MRSA colonization.
Conclusion: Preoperative nasal colonization of MRSA among adult patients exceeded rates
found in other studies. It is important to implement effective S. aureus and MRSA screening
programs among preoperative adult patients by giving due emphasis on the identified associated
factor
