Table 1 Risk factors for MRSA
Variable | Hypothesized relationship to MRSA | Found to be Predictive |
|---|---|---|
Age | Youth increases likelihood of engaging in other risky behaviors, i.e. drug use, sports, promiscuous sex | Yes |
Race | Unknown, previously described in Frazee1 | No |
BMI | Elevated BMI suspected to impair ability to enact good hygiene | No |
Homelessness | Suspected to impair ability to enact good hygiene | No |
Group home | Increases skin to skin contact, communal living | Yes |
Nursing home | Exposes one to hospital acquired pathogens | No |
Incarceration, or contact with incarcerated person | Increases skin to skin contact, poor hygiene, transmission to family and friends | Yes |
IV drug use | Inoculates bacteria directly into skin | No |
Sexual contact | Increases skin to skin contact | Yes |
Occupation in healthcare | Exposes to hospital acquired pathogens | No |
Recent skin infection | Points to colonization with MRSA | No |
Lesion characteristics (abscess/cellulitis) | MRSA tends to form abscesses or furuncles, rather than cellulitis3 | Yes |
Lesion location | Lesions in pelvic area lower risk given suspected higher incidence of fecal flora | No |
Number of lesions | Increased number of lesions suspected to correlate with MRSA due to increased invasiveness of MRSA | No |
Spontaneous vs. pre-existing wound | Spontaneous infections higher risk based on increased invasiveness of MRSA | No |