Increasing hospitalizations and general practice prescriptions for community-onset staphylococcal disease, England

Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 May;14(5):720-6. doi: 10.3201/eid1405.070153.

Abstract

Rates of hospital-acquired staphylococcal infection increased throughout the 1990s; however, information is limited on trends in community-onset staphylococcal disease in the United Kingdom. We used Hospital Episode Statistics to describe trends in hospital admissions for community-onset staphylococcal disease and national general practice data to describe trends in community prescribing for staphylococcal disease. Hospital admission rates for staphyloccocal septicemia, staphylococcal pneumonia, staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome, and impetigo increased >5-fold. Admission rates increased 3-fold for abscesses and cellulitis and 1.5-fold for bone and joint infections. In primary care settings during 1991-2006, floxacillin prescriptions increased 1.8-fold and fusidic acidprescriptions 2.5-fold. The increases were not matched by increases in admission rates for control conditions. We identified a previously undescribed but major increase in pathogenic community-onset staphylococcal disease over the past 15 years. These trends are of concern given the international emergence of invasive community-onset staphylococcal infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Community-Acquired Infections* / drug therapy
  • Community-Acquired Infections* / epidemiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections* / microbiology
  • England / epidemiology
  • Family Practice
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Hospitalization / trends*
  • Humans
  • Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / microbiology
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / trends*
  • Sepsis / drug therapy
  • Sepsis / epidemiology
  • Sepsis / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections* / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcal Infections* / epidemiology
  • Staphylococcal Infections* / microbiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / epidemiology
  • Staphylococcal Skin Infections / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents