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Table 1 Oropharyngeal (OP) and nasal (NAS) carriage of Staphylococcus aureus by healthy children living in Milan by age and S. aureus susceptibility to methicillin

From: Oropharyngeal and nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage by healthy children

 

Age group

   
 

<10 years

 

10-14 years

 

≥15 years

 

Total

 

n = 199

n = 213

n = 85

n = 497

 

OP

NAS

Both

OP

NAS

Both

OP

NAS

Both

OP

NAS

Both

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

MRSA

0

1 (0.5)

 

0

1 (0.5)

 

0

1 (1.2)

 

0

3 (0.6)

 

MSSA

42 (21.1)

77 (38.7)

 

51 (23.9)

89 (41.8)

 

36 (42.3)

26 (30.6)

 

129 (26.0)

192 (38.6)

 

Total S. aureus

42 (21.1)

78 (39.2)

21 (10.5)

51 (23.9)

90 (42.2)

24 (11.3)

36 (42.3)

27 (31.8)

15 (17.6)

129 (26.0)

195 (39.2)

60 (12.1)

  1. MRSA: methicillin-resistant S. aureus; MSSA: methicillin-susceptible S. aureus; NAS: nasal; OP: oropharyngeal.
  2. All of the Cohen’s kappa coefficients for agreement between total nasal and oropharyngeal S. aureus carriage were <0.20 (no or little agreement). Total oropharyngeal S. aureus (and MSSA) carriage differed by age group (p < 0.001). There was no other significant age-related difference.