Sequence type 72 community-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus emerged as a predominant clone of nasal colonization in newly admitted patients.

Current knowledge of community-associated (CA) meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in hospitalized patients is incomplete. Genotypic characteristics of 637 nasal MRSA isolates from newly admitted patients in South Korea were investigated. Sequence type (ST) 72 accounted for 52.1%, 46.3%, and 52.8% of the isolates during the periods of 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2013-2014, respectively. Instead of classic MRSA clones responsible for healthcare-associated infections, including ST5 and ST239, MRSA with community genotype ST72 was the predominant strain in newly admitted patients regardless of age and home province of the patients. Active strategies are needed to prevent healthcare-associated infection by CA-MRSA.

Risk factors for cytomegalovirus gastrointestinal diseases in adult patients with cancer.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) gastrointestinal (GI) disease has been noticed frequently in cancer patients, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and GI bleeding. However, little is known about its actual incidence, clinical presentation, and the risk factors for its development among cancer patients. To answer these questions, we analyzed all cases that occurred during an 18-year period at our center. A case-control study was performed to identify risk factors for CMV GI disease. Electronic medical records were reviewed from individuals who were admitted and diagnosed with CMV GI disease during the period of January 1995 through March 2013 at a tertiary care center. Two CMV disease-free cancer patients were matched as controls. A total of 98 episodes of CMV GI disease were included in this study, and the overall incidence rate was 52.5 per 100,000 cancer patients, with an increasing trend throughout the study period. According to multivariate analysis, male sex, low body mass index, lymphopenia, hematological malignancy, and steroid use and red blood cell transfusion within 1 month prior to the CMV disease were identified to be independent risk factors. Among these factors, RBC transfusion showed the highest odds ratio (OR = 5.09). Male sex, low body mass index, lymphopenia, hematological malignancy, steroid use, and red blood cell transfusion within 1 month prior to the CMV disease diagnosis were independent risk factors for the development of CMV GI disease in adult patients with cancer.