REPORT ON METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS BACTERAEMIA IN SCOTLAND,

• This report of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in acute trusts in Scotland provides data on the rates of MRSA bacteraemias (blood infections) for 14 acute NHS trusts, one health care NHS trust and three island NHS boards in Scotland in the twelve-month period October 2002 to September 2003. The presence of MRSA in blood (bacteraemias) depends upon a number of factors, including the particular strain of MRSA and the patient’s underlying condition. They are reported here as they are an important marker of the total amount of MRSA within an institution and, at present, are the best marker that we have for invasive infection. • Between October 2002 and September 2003, recorded MRSA bacteraemia rates ranged from 0.0/1000 bed days to 0.27/1000 bed days with an average for Scotland of 0.15 per 1000 bed days. A reading of 0 means that the Trust reported that they had no cases in the period. • Comparisons between trusts of the bacteraemia rates should be made with great caution for several reasons, including the following: – Patients may not have acquired the MRSA in the Trust where the MRSA bacteraemias were diagnosed. Laboratory reports of MRSA bacteraemias include reports on patients who became colonized or infected in a different hospital from the one that diagnosed and reported the bacteraemias, as well as reports on patients who became colonized or infected in the community