Nasal staphylococcus aureus carriage in medical students by four years interval

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of infections in both the community and hospital. It is also an important public health problem, it may be preventable. The aims of this study was to determinate nasal carriage of S. aureus in the sixth  year  medical students and to compare with their the second  year  results’ in a medical school.
In this repeat cross-sectional study, subjects were consisted of  44 of 54 the last year medical students (81.48%). Verbal inform consent were obtained from all students. Nasal swabs were obtained from anterior nares of students included in the study and a self-administered questionnaire were offered to each student. Main variables were age, sex, working hours in the hospital per week, anatomic alteration of the nose, snoring, repeated long-term skin injuries, prior hospitalization(<6months), using nasal spray, estrogen or testosterone containing products, smoking habit, any systemic disease, history of immunotherapy and peritoneal dialysis, antibiotic use within the previous month and history of chronic sinusitis. A statistical package program were used in analysis. S.aureus was isolated from the second years students 27.3% and 31.8% after four years. With clinical exposure there was a slightly increase in S. Aureus carriage rates but it was not significant statistically (p>0.05). In our study, methicillin susceptibility did not show any significant difference as 100% in four years. Risk factors were not related with the nasal carriage of S. aureus (p>0.05).    
With clinical exposure there was a slightly increase in S. aureus carriage rates but it was not significant statistically. This study showed the MRSA is disappeared in this group in four years. The medical students should regularly be screened for MRSA colonisation. Handwashing seems to reduce colonization rate and therefore, it would be proposed that infection control intervention through handwashing be strictly adhered to.