Prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Elderly Individuals Living in Geriatric Homes in Egypt.

Older people make up a large and increasing percentage of the population. As people grow older they are increasingly at risk to be admitted to geriatric homes.

It is known that Infections are very common in the setting of long-term care facilities and represent a major burden. MRSA is commonly causes only asymptomatic colonization, Staphylococcus aureus is a highly pathogenic organism with the potential to cause serious infections, such as blood-stream infections, pneumonia, endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infections, and bone and joint infections, often associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

MRSA carriers without symptomatic infection are an important reservoir and source of spread.

Risk factors that mostly present in elderly living in geriatric homes are: prolonged hospital stay, multiple hospitalizations, age over 65 years invasive devices (e.g., catheters, gastric/endotracheal tubes, surgical drains) open wound, severe underlying illness, treatment with multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics and close proximity to patients colonized or infected with MRSA.