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Colonization with Community-Acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Children with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Elena Pope, MD., Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON.

Currently, there is a worldwide increase in the incidence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in some countries approaching 50 % of the Staphylocoocus aureus isolates. Although an upward trend has been noted in Canada, the exact magnitude of the problem is unknown.
Pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis are almost universally colonized with Staphylococcus aureus. It is conceivable that the prevalance of MRSA in this population is also increasing, in keeping with the trend in the general population. To date, there is no data on the magnitude of this problem in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis.
This study aims to determine the number of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitits colonized with Staphylococcus aureus and the antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates. The impact of the MRSA status on the severity of AD will also be evaluated.
The results of our study will help to: assess the magnitude of the problem, help with sample size calculations for further epidemiological studies and suggest management strategies tailored to decrease the burden of MRSA in this population.

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