Staphylococcal nasal carriage and subsequent infection in peritoneal dialysis patients

Abstract

Thirty patients undergoing long-term home-based peritoneal dialysis were monitored for 13 mo. for carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in the nares and for the development of infectious complications. The patients could be divided into 3 groups with regard to S. aureus carriage: chronic, intermittent and noncarriers. Twenty-five episodes of peritonitis and 20 episodes of catheter exit-site infections occurred during 268 patient-months of observation. S. aureus accounted for 8 episodes of peritonitis and 12 episodes of exit-site infection. Chronic and intermittent carriers of S. aureus were found to be at higher risk of development of infection than noncarriers.