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The anterior nares are believed to be the primary reservoir for Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). However, recent studies suggest that extranasal colonization could be much more common than previously thought. What little information we have about S. aureus colonization among residents of community nursing homes suggests that indwelling devices increase risk for nasal colonization with S. aureus.
To further examine the role of indwelling devices in both nasal and extranasal staphylococcal colonization, researchers cultured the nares, oropharynx, feeding-tube insertion site, groin, perianal area, and wounds of 105 consenting residents from 14 community nursing homes in southeastern Michigan in 2003 and 2…