Detection of MRSA in Medical and Nursing Students Not  Exposed to Patient Care Environment

T. V Rao; Deepa Babin

Volume : II, Issue : VIII, August - 2013

Detection of MRSA in Medical and Nursing Students Not Exposed to Patient Care Environment

T. V Rao, Deepa Babin

Abstract :

Staphylococcus aureus is part of the normal flora of human skin and nasal passages. Healthcare workers comprise a unique population at risk for MRSA acquisition. We conducted a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriers, and MRSA among preclinical medical and nursing students for chances of accusation of CA–MRSA. The present study involved 220 students, comprising of 120 medical and 100 nursing students respectively. Upon identification, the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was done followed with Chi–square analysis. The nasal carriage of MRSA among medical and nursing non–clinical groups were (6%) and (8%) respectively, even though they were unexposed to Hospital environment. The study enlightens that acquiring of MRSA is not a phenomenon associated only with the hospital environment, but people acquire the MRSA in the community even in higher proportions, proving that the threat of MRSA from unexpected corners and needs a careful watch on the prevention of MRSA related infections, in the Hospitals and Community