Increased rates of hospital-onset Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in National Health Service acute trusts in England between June 2020 and March 2021: a national surveillance review

E Mason; O Nsonwu; J Elmes; D Chudasama; C Pearson; L Hasan; R Hope; S M Gerver

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2023.10.012

Increased rates of hospital-onset Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in National Health Service acute trusts in England between June 2020 and March 2021: a national surveillance review

J Hosp Infect. 2024 Jan:143:33-37. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.10.012. Epub 2023 Oct 29.

Authors

E Mason¹, O Nsonwu², J Elmes², D Chudasama², C Pearson², L Hasan², R Hope², S M Gerver²

Affiliations

¹ Healthcare Associated Infection, Fungal, Antimicrobial Resistance, Antimicrobial Usage & Sepsis Division, Clinical & Public Health Group, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK. Electronic address: emily.l.mason@ukhsa.gov.uk.
² Healthcare Associated Infection, Fungal, Antimicrobial Resistance, Antimicrobial Usage & Sepsis Division, Clinical & Public Health Group, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK.

PMID: 38529780
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.10.012

Abstract

A large increase in hospital-onset and intensive-care-unit-onset Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia rates in English acute trusts was observed between 2020 and 2021, coinciding with reported increases in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and associated hospitalizations. Many of these S. aureus bacteraemia cases were defined as co-/secondary infections to COVID-19. Over the same period, increases in the percentage of ventilator-associated pneumonia-related bacteraemia were also found. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have contributed to the increase in hospital-onset S. aureus bacteraemia in England; further studies are needed to better understand the impacts on patient outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hospital-onset; MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus.

MeSH terms

Bacteremia* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / epidemiology
England / epidemiology
Hospitals
Humans
Pandemics
Staphylococcal Infections* / epidemiology
Staphylococcus aureus
State Medicine