Mortality rates in hospital patients with hyperglycaemia and MRSA bacteraemia

Abstract

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections in the hospital population have shown a dramatic increase. This pilot study determined whether random/fasting blood glucose measurements were performed on patients admitted to hospital with MRSA bacteraemia. We also examined mortality in relationship to hyperglycaemia, defined as random glucose ≥ 11 mmol/L. Retrospective data for all in-patients aged ≥ 16 years for the three years; 2000—2002 identified 309 patients with MRSA bacteraemia and all of them had laboratory blood glucose concentrations recorded on admission in all cases. A random blood glucose ≥ 11 mmol/L was noted in 129 (42%) patients of whom 82 (64%) died. The mortality was significantly more likely to be in the highest tertile (p<0.05) of blood glucose distributions.