Screening cultures for detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a population at high risk for MRSA colonisation: identification of optimal combinations of anatomical sites

Figures & data

Numbers of MRSA colonisations detected at different anatomical sites and combinations of two and three sites

Anatomical site	No. of patients MRSA detected (total = 925)	Sensitivity (%) of detection (95% CI)
Single-site
Nose	467	50.5% (47.3–53.7)
Throat	444	48% (44.8–51.2)
Groin	408	44.2% (40.9–47.3)
Perineum	365	39.5% (36.3–42.6)
Umbilicus	214	23.1% (20.4–25.9)
Axilla	171	18.5% (16–21)
Hairline	167	18% (15.6–20.5)
Two-site
Groin + throat	689	74.5% (71.7–77.3)
Groin + nose	667	72.1% (69.2–75)
Nose + perineum	664	71.8% (68.9–74.7)
Nose + throat	662	71.6% (68.7–74.5)
Perineum + throat	582	63% (59.8–66)
Throat + umbilicus	553	59.8% (56.6–62.9)
Nose + umbilicus	549	59.35% (56.2–62.5)
Axilla + nose	524	56.6% (53.5–59.8)
Axilla + throat	521	56.3% (53.1–59.5)
Groin + perineum	518	56% (52.8–59.2)
Hairline + throat	513	55.46% (52.3–58.7)
Hairline + nose	501	54.1% (51–57.4)
Groin + umbilicus	482	52.1% (48.9–55.3)
Groin + hairline	476	51.45% (48.2–54.7)
Axilla + groin	457	49.4% (46.2–52.6)
Perineum + umbilicus	455	49.2% (46–52.4)
Axilla + perineum	435	47% (43.8–50.2)
Hairline + perineum	432	46.7% (43.5–49.9)
Axilla + umbilicus	300	32.4% (29.4–35.4)
Hairline + umbilicus	293	31.7% (28.7–34.7)
Axilla + hairline	267	28.8% (25.9–31.8)
Three-site
Groin + nose + throat	850	92% (90.1–93.6)
Nose + perineum + throat	840	91% (88.9–92.7)
Groin + perineum + throat	783	84.6% (82.3–87)
Groin + nose + perineum	769	83.1% (80.7–85.5)
Groin + throat + umbilicus	752	81.3% (78.8–83.8)
Nose + throat + umbilicus	742	80.2% (77.6–82.8)
Axilla + groin + throat	732	79.1% (76.5–81.7)
Groin + hairline + throat	726	78.5% (75.8–81.1)
Groin + nose + umbilicus	724	78.3% (75.6–81)
Perineum + throat + umbilicus	720	77.8% (75.2–80.5)
Nose + perineum + umbilicus	719	77.7% (75–80.4)
Axilla + nose + throat	717	77.5% (74.8–80.2)
Groin + hairline + nose	708	76.5% (73.8–79.3)
Hairline+ perineum + throat	706	76.3% (73.6–79)
Axilla + perineum +throat	703	76% (73.2–78.7)
Hairline + nose + perineum	698	75.5% (72.7–78.2)
Axilla + nose + perineum	694	75% (72.2–77.8)
Axilla + groin + nose	693	74.9% (72.1–77.7)
Hairline + nose + throat	690	74.6% (71.8–77.4)
Axilla + nose + umbilicus	604	65.3% (62.2–68.4)
Axilla + throat + umbilicus	597	64.5% (61.5–67.6)
Hairline + throat + umbilicus	596	64.4% (61.3–67.5)
Groin + perineum + umbilicus	583	63% (59.9–66.1)
Groin + hairline + perineum	582	62.9% (59.8–66)
Axilla + hairline + throat	581	62.8% (59.7–65.9)
Hairline + nose + umbilicus	581	62.8% (59.7–65.9)
Axilla + groin + perineum	577	62.4% (59.2–65.5)
Groin + hairline + umbilicus	543	58.7% (55.5–61.9)
Axilla + hairline + nose	535	57.8% (54.6–61)
Axilla + groin + umbilicus	534	57.7% (54.5–60.9)
Axilla + groin + hairline	522	56.4% (53.2–59.6)
Axilla + perineum + umbilicus	516	55.8% (52.6–59)
Hairline + perineum + umbilicus	506	54.7% (51.5–57.9)
Axilla + hairline + perineum	481	52% (48.8–55.2)
Axilla + hairline + umbilicus	367	39.6% (36.5–42.8)

There were 925 patients found to be colonised with MRSA in total using the seven-site body screen gold standard.

CI, confidence interval; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.