The hospital epidemiologist was alerted when several cultures had recently revealed suspicious similarities.He was concerned about two unrelated patients with similar abscesses in similar body regions.Susan Grant,a 72-year-old diabetic patient taking immunosuppressive medications for chronic Crohn's disease,had an incision and drainage of a perianal fistula.Shawn Ames,a healthy 22-year-old college student and motocross racer,had an incision and drainage plus excision of a pilonidal cyst.Both patients cultured out a new subtype of S.aureus.Susan's specimen results showed a significant colony growth of S.aureus plus differential growth of coagulase-negative S.epidermidis,while Shawn's specimen was a high colony growth coagulase-positive,similar subtype of S.aureus.The epidemiologist charged his department to be alert for this S.aureus subtype and cross-check for trends.He was most concerned about one of these patients in particular and pulled up the medical record for review.Which patient may be at higher risk with the more virulent strain and why?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Coagulase-positive staphylococci are more virulent or pathogenic than coagulase-negative staphylococci.S.aureus is hemolytic,parasitic,pathogenic,and coagulase positive.S.epidermidis is parasitic,less pathogenic,and coagulase negative.Virulence is the potency of a pathogen measured in the numbers required to kill the host.

The Hospital Epidemiologist Was Alerted When Several Cultures Had Recently