Search

Surgical resection of locally advanced colon cancer (LACC) is challenging due to tumor size and the frequent need for multivisceral resection. The role of laparoscopic resection in LACC is controversial. This study aims to compare outcomes for laparoscopic versus open surgery in LACC.A population-based retrospective review was conducted of patients treated at a Provincial Cancer Center for LACC from 2005 to 2015. Patients with non-metastatic T4 colon cancers were included. Descriptive, survival, and recurrence analyses were used.In all, 1,328 patients were reviewed, 23% of whom had laparoscopic surgery. A greater number of T4b tumors were removed via an open approach (35.9% vs 12.7%, P.001). Positive resection margins occurred in 7.5% of laparoscopic and 16.5% of open cases (P.001), and multivisceral resection was required in 11.0% and 27.7% (P.001), respectively. Median follow-up was 37 months (interquartile range [IQR] 17-64) during which 48.6% patients died and 42.1% developed recurrence: locoregional (15.0%), distant (35.3%), peritoneal (11.4%). Age, right-sided tumors, nodal status, and laparoscopic approach were independent predictors of peritoneal recurrence. Overall survival (OS) (73 vs 61 months, P = .188) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (39 vs 31 months, P = .288) were similar with both approaches. Age, nodal, and margin status were predictive of OS and RFS.Open surgical approach is used more frequently when tumors invade adjacent organs or require multivisceral resections. When employed, laparoscopic approach had similar rates of survival and recurrence compared with open approach, but was an independent predictor of peritoneal recurrence. Careful patient selection in operative approach is suggested.

Colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) is one of the deadliest cancers. CRCLM tumours have two distinct histopathological growth patterns (HGPs) including desmoplastic HGP (DHGP) and replacement HGP (RHGP). The DHGP tumours are angiogenic, while their RHGP counterparts are vessel co-opting. The patients with DHGP tumours have a better response to anti-angiogenic agents and chemotherapy, as well as the prognosis. To determine the influence of vitamin D supplementation in CRCLM, we analyzed the HGPs and the 5-year OS of CRCLM patients (n=106). Interestingly, we found an inverse correlation between vitamin D supplementation and the presence of RHGP tumours in CRCLM patients. Additionally, the 5-year OS of the patients that administered vitamin D was significantly higher. The cancer cells in RHGP lesions are characterized by direct contact with the hepatocytes, and this phenomenon enhances the motility of the cancer cells and facilitates their infiltration through liver parenchyma to co-opt the pre-existing vessels. Significantly, our in vitro data demonstrated the downregulation of motility markers in the co-cultured cancer cells with hepatocytes upon exposure to vitamin D. Altogether, this study highlights the role of vitamin D in CRCLM and provides a rationale to investigate the contribution of vitamin D supplementation to the prognosis of CRCLM patients.

Aging is a complex process that is directly related to human health and disease. The extraordinary finding that aging is malleable, as shown in model organisms whose life and health spans are extended by specific gene mutations or dietary or pharmacological perturbations1–3, has offered enormous hope for our understanding and treatment of aging and related diseases. Although many molecules have been identified that can extend the lifespan of model organisms, few have been shown to alleviate age-related symptoms or illness in mammals4. Here we show that supplementation with the endogenous metabolite α-ketobutyrate (α-KB) increases the lifespan of adultC. elegans. Using Gelfree DARTS-PROTOMAP, we identified microtubule-actin cross-linking factor (MACF1) that was protected against proteolysis in the presence of α-KB. MACF1 belongs to the spectraplakin family of giant, evolutionarily conserved proteins with versatile functions5, but their link to longevity regulation has not been explored. α-KB’s longevity effect inC. elegansis abrogated by loss-of-function mutation invab-10, encoding the worm ortholog of mammalian MACF16. Like α-KB treatment,vab-10knockdown activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and AMPK is required for α-KB effects on longevity. The findings suggest a model in which α-KB increases longevity by activating AMPK via VAB-10/MACF1 modulation. α-KB also delays aging in mammals, increasing the lifespan of aged male mice and the healthspan of both male and female animals. Targeting of broadly expressed scaffolding proteins in connection to cellular energy homeostasis seems to be a clever way that nature has devised for metabolite signals to impinge upon multiple organ and tissue systems, which may have utility for controlling aging and related diseases.

Physiotherapists' understanding of disability has direct relevance for their practices and work with disabled people.To explore how physiotherapists from diverse backgrounds, cultures and social locations conceptualize disability. Understanding their conceptualizations will provide insight to determine future directions regarding disability education, in healthcare education, to optimize the quality of care and life for individuals with disabilities.Six internationally educated physiotherapists enrolled in a Canadian physical therapy bridging program were interviewed and data were analyzed for themes.Participants' conceptualizations of disability were complex and a dynamic process that reflected what was 'thinkable' in relation to experience, such as with social location and in personal, professional and educational domains. This primary theme was reflected in three subthemes: 1) Professional PT acculturation shaped disability conceptualization in particular ways; 2) Medical model as the dominant way of thinking; and 3) Social model thinking was more feasible in resource rich contexts.These results reinforce the benefits of a wide exposure to different ways of conceptualizing and addressing disability within PT education to counter the dominance of the medical model and reinforce the importance of advocacy and allyship with disabled people.

BackgroundCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are an urgent global health threat. Inferring the dynamics of local CRE dissemination is currently limited by our inability to confidently trace the spread of resistance determinants to unrelated bacterial hosts. Whole genome sequence comparison is useful for identifying CRE clonal transmission and outbreaks, but high-frequency horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of carbapenem resistance genes and subsequent genome rearrangement complicate tracing the local persistence and mobilization of these genes across organisms.MethodsTo overcome this limitation, we developed a new approach to identify recent HGT of large, near-identical plasmid segments across species boundaries, which also allowed us to overcome technical challenges with genome assembly. We applied this to complete and near-complete genome assemblies to examine the local spread of CRE in a systematic, prospective collection of all CRE, as well as time- and species-matched carbapenem susceptible Enterobacterales, isolated from patients from four U.S. hospitals over nearly five years.ResultsOur CRE collection comprised a diverse range of species, lineages and carbapenem resistance mechanisms, many of which were encoded on a variety of promiscuous plasmid types. We found and quantified rearrangement, persistence, and repeated transfer of plasmid segments, including those harboring carbapenemases, between organisms over multiple years. Some plasmid segments were found to be strongly associated with specific locales, thus representing geographic signatures that make it possible to trace recent and localized HGT events.Functional analysis of these signatures revealed genes commonly found in plasmids of nosocomial pathogens, such as functions required for plasmid retention and spread, as well survival against a variety of antibiotic and antiseptics common to the hospital environment.ConclusionsCollectively, the framework we developed provides a clearer, high resolution picture of the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance importation, spread, and persistence in patients and healthcare networks.

Temperature readings observed at surface weather stations have been used for detecting changes in climate due to their long period of observations. The most common temperature metrics recorded are the daily maximum (TMax) and minimum (TMin) extremes. Unfortunately, influences besides background climate variations impact these measurements such as changes in (1) instruments, (2) location, (3) time of observation, and (4) the surrounding artifacts of human civilization (buildings, farms, streets, etc.) Quantifying (4) is difficult because the surrounding infrastructure, unique to each site, often changes slowly and variably and is thus resistant to general algorithms for adjustment. We explore a direct method of detecting this impact by comparing a single station that experienced significant development from 1895 to 2019, and especially since 1970, relative to several other stations with lesser degrees of such development (after adjustments for the (1) to (3) are applied). The target station is Fresno, California (metro population ~ 15,000 in 1900 and ~ 1 million in 2019) situated on the eastern side of the broad, flat San Joaquin Valley in which several other stations reside. A unique component of this study is the use of pentad (5-day averages) as the test metric. Results indicate that Fresno experienced + 0.4 °C decade−1 more nighttime warming (TMin) since 1970 than its neighbors—a time when population grew almost 300%. There was little difference seen in TMax trends between Fresno and non-Fresno stations since 1895 with TMax trends being near zero. A case is made for the use of TMax as the preferred climate metric relative to TMin for a variety of physical reasons. Additionally, temperatures measured at systematic times of the day (i.e., hourly) show promise as climate indicators as compared with TMax and especially TMin (and thus TAvg) due to several complicating factors involved with daily high and low measurements.

The CLEAR trial demonstrated that a multi-site body decolonization regimen reduced post-discharge infection and hospitalization in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers. This report describes decolonization efficacy in clearing site-specific MRSA colonization during the trial.We performed a large, multi-center, randomized clinical trial of MRSA decolonization among adult patients after hospital discharge with MRSA infection or colonization. Participants were randomized 1:1 to either MRSA prevention education or education plus decolonization with 4% topical chlorhexidine daily, 0.12% oral chlorhexidine rinse twice daily, and 2% nasal mupirocin twice daily. The intervention was given for five consecutive days twice monthly. Participants were swabbed in the nares, throat, axilla/groin, and wound (if applicable) at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after randomization. The primary outcomes of this report are follow-up colonization differences between groups.Among 2,121 participants, 1,058 were randomized to the decolonization group. By one month, MRSA colonization was lower in the decolonization group compared to the education only group (OR = 0.44 [95% Confidence Interval 0.36-0.54, p≤0.001). Similar magnitude of reduction was seen in the nares (OR = 0.34 [0.27-0.42], p 0.001) throat (OR = 0.55 [0.42-0.73], p 0.001), and axilla/groin (OR = 0.57 [0.43-0.75], p 0.001). These differences persisted through month 9 except at the wound site, which had a relatively small sample size. Higher regimen adherence was associated with lower MRSA colonization (p≤0.01).In a randomized clinical trial, a repeated post-discharge decolonization regimen for MRSA carriers reduced MRSA colonization overall and at multiple body sites. Higher treatment adherence was associated with greater reductions in MRSA colonization.

Background: Postoperative (post-op) pain following minimally-invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) may complicate outcomes in patients having surgery performed through a right mini-thoracotomy. Regional anaesthesia, by delivery of local anaesthetic agents to the paravertebral space using a paravertebral catheter (paravertebral block, PVB) may be useful to reduce post-op pain, however, few studies have reported outcomes on patients undergoing MICS with the use of a PVB. Methods: Ninety consecutive patients who underwent MICS at Vancouver General Hospital between January 2016 and May 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Data were collected for 53 patients who only had routine pain control (control) and 37 patients who had a PVB (PVB). Primary outcomes were post-op opioid use and hospital length of stay (LOS). Peri-operative (peri-op) death and stroke were secondary outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA single factor and t-tests. Results: Patient demographics and operative times were comparable between the two groups. The average total amount of opioid consumed in the PVB group was lower at 155.3 mg morphine equivalents, compared to 193.9 mg in the control group, however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.39) (Figure 1). However, the percentage of patients who did NOT receive any oxycodone was almost double in the PVB group (43.2% vs 24.5%, PVB vs control, respectively. p=0.06). The average LOS for the PVB group was significantly lower than the control group (5.4 vs 8.3 days, PVB vs control, respectively. p=0.006) (Figure 1). There were no peri-op deaths or strokes. Conclusion: In our experience, addition of a regional anesthetic was associated with ~20% reduction in the amount of opioid narcotic required. Although not statistically significant, this may be a clinically important difference, as the LOS was significantly lower in the PVB group. Outcomes in patients undergoing MICS may be improved with the addition of a PVB.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients who are colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are at high risk for infection after discharge. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of postdischarge hygiene education, as compared with education plus decolonization, in patients colonized with MRSA (carriers). Decolonization involved chlorhexidine mouthwash, baths or showers with chlorhexidine, and nasal mupirocin for 5 days twice per month for 6 months. Participants were followed for 1 year. The primary outcome was MRSA infection as defined according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Secondary outcomes included MRSA infection determined on the basis of clinical judgment, infection from any cause, and infection-related hospitalization. All analyses were performed with the use of proportional-hazards models in the per-protocol population (all participants who underwent randomization, met the inclusion criteria, and survived beyond the recruitment hospitalization) and as-treated population (participants stratified according to adherence). RESULTS: In the per-protocol population, MRSA infection occurred in 98 of 1063 participants (9.2%) in the education group and in 67 of 1058 (6.3%) in the decolonization group; 84.8% of the MRSA infections led to hospitalization. Infection from any cause occurred in 23.7% of the participants in the education group and 19.6% of those in the decolonization group; 85.8% of the infections led to hospitalization. The hazard of MRSA infection was significantly lower in the decolonization group than in the education group (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.96; P=0.03; number needed to treat to prevent one infection, 30; 95% CI, 18 to 230); this lower hazard led to a lower risk of hospitalization due to MRSA infection (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.99). The decolonization group had lower likelihoods of clinically judged infection from any cause (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99) and infection-related hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.93); treatment effects for secondary out-comes should be interpreted with caution owing to a lack of prespecified adjustment for multiple comparisons. In as-treated analyses, participants in the decolonization group who adhered fully to the regimen had 44% fewer MRSA infections than the education group (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.86) and had 40% fewer infections from any cause (hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.78). Side effects (all mild) occurred in 4.2% of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Postdischarge MRSA decolonization with chlorhexidine and mupirocin led to a 30% lower risk of MRSA infection than education alone. (Funded by the AHRQ Healthcare-Associated Infections Program and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01209234.)

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether hormone therapy (HT) after nonserous epithelial ovarian cancer is associated with a decrease in overall and disease-free survival. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study. The Manitoba Cancer Registry and Drug Programs Information Network were searched to find all women with known nonserous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer between 1995 and 2010 who had used HT after treatment. Women who did not receive treatment or had no follow-up were excluded. RESULTS Three hundred ninety-one patients met the inclusion criteria. Seventeen patients were excluded because the patients did not receive treatment for cancer, and 17 were excluded for lack of follow-up. A total of 94 women received HT after treatment, and 263 women did not. The average age was 57.8 years. In HT users younger than 55 years of age, disease-free survival is improved according to both the multivariable landmark analysis (n=68/145, adjusted hazard ratio 0.354, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.17-0.74, P=.006) and the time-varying Cox regression analysis (n=42/158, adjusted hazard ratio 0.212, 95% CI 0.07-0.60, P=.004) when adjusting for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and need for chemotherapy. There is no statistical difference in overall survival in this age group. No associations between HT use and overall survival or disease-free survival were found among women aged 55 years and older. CONCLUSION After treatment for nonserous epithelial ovarian cancer, hormone therapy is not associated with decreased disease-free or overall survival.

A research project measured PTSD incidence in disaster-prone zones of Indonesia, Java six and Sumatra three years post-disaster. The Downs Posttraumatic Stress Scale, a new instrument with high reliability for children and adults (α=.94), measuring incidence of 28 identified PTSD symptoms was developed. Analysis revealed unusually high continuing incidence of PTSD. The results of analysis also compared PTSD incidence between the DSM IV-TR (24.14%) with the DSM 5 (20.1%), a significant decrease in diagnosability.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are among the most severe threats to the antibiotic era. Multiple different species can exhibit resistance due to many different mechanisms, and many different mobile elements are capable of transferring resistance between lineages. We prospectively sampled CRE from hospitalized patients from three Boston-area hospitals, together with a collection of CRE from a single California hospital, to define the frequency and characteristics of outbreaks and determine whether there is evidence for transfer of strains within and between hospitals and the frequency with which resistance is transferred between lineages or species. We found eight species exhibiting resistance, with the majority of our sample being the sequence type 258 (ST258) lineage of Klebsiella pneumoniae There was very little evidence of extensive hospital outbreaks, but a great deal of variation in resistance mechanisms and the genomic backgrounds carrying these mechanisms. Local transmission was evident in clear phylogeographic structure between the samples from the two coasts. The most common resistance mechanisms were KPC (K. pneumoniae carbapenemases) beta-lactamases encoded by blaKPC2, blaKPC3, and blaKPC4, which were transferred between strains and species by seven distinct subgroups of the Tn4401 element. We also found evidence for previously unrecognized resistance mechanisms that produced resistance when transformed into a susceptible genomic background. The extensive variation, together with evidence of transmission beyond limited clonal outbreaks, points to multiple unsampled transmission chains throughout the continuum of care, including asymptomatic carriage and transmission of CRE. This finding suggests that to control this threat, we need an aggressive approach to surveillance and isolation.

e15171 Background: Locally advanced colon cancer (LACC) is a frequent presentation and has a high rate of recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate current population-based strategies in LACC patients, and to analyze patterns of recurrence. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients treated at a regional cancer agency with a diagnosis of LACC between 2005 and 2015 treated with curative intent resection. Inclusion criteria were adults with T4 colon cancer, 16 cm above the anal verge, with no evidence of distant metastases. Descriptive statistics were used to define the study population. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-proportional hazards modeling were used for survival analysis. Results: 1394 patients with LACC were reviewed. Median age was 69 [IQR 60-77] and 49.3% were female. Primary tumor location was right-sided in 57.1% of cases. Most tumors were T4a (69.4%) and 39.4% were node positive. A total of 35.4% had urgent/emergent surgery, 46.4% were at least partially obstructed, 22.0% were perforated and 1.9% had a diverting ostomy as an initial operation. En-bloc multi-visceral resection occurred in 23.5% of cases. Positive margins were present in 14.3%. Only 1.6% had neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 0.8% had neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Adjuvant chemotherapy was delivered in 59.8% and adjuvant chemoradiation in 2.8%. Median follow up was 37 months. During follow up 681 (48.9%) patients died and 584 (41.9%) patients developed recurrence. In the entire cohort, rates of recurrences were local-regional (14.7%) and distant metastatic (35.1%). Overall survival for the entire cohort was 63 months [95% CI 55.7-70.3] and recurrence-free survival was 61 months [95% CI 38.8-83.2]. Multivariate analysis identified age (HR 1.03, 95% CI [1.02-1.05] p < 0.001), node negative status (HR 0.62, 95% CI [0.45-0.84] p = 0.002) and positive margin (HR 1.79, 95% CI [1.24-2.57] p = 0.002) as predictive of overall survival after adjusting for confounding factors. Predictive factors for recurrence-free survival were node negative status (HR 0.55, 95% CI [0.39-0.77] p < 0.001) and positive margin (HR 1.51, 95% CI [1.02-2.23] p = 0.038). Conclusions: Recurrence after curative intent treatment for LACC is common. Recurrence and survival patterns are significantly influenced by tumor nodal status and margin positivity.

We assessed characteristics associated with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) carriage among residents of 22 nursing homes. Of MRSA-positive swabs, 25% (208/824) were positive for CA-MRSA. Median facility CAMRSA percentage was 22% (range, 0%-44%). In multivariate models, carriage was associated with age less than 65 years (odds ratio, 1.2; P

CH-π stacks up! Using the protein α(2) D as a model system, we estimate that a CH-π contact between cyclohexylalanine (Cha) and phenylalanine (F) contributes approximately -0.7 kcal mol(-1) to the protein stability. The stacking F-Cha pairs are sequestered in the core of the protein, where water interference does not exist (see figure). Therefore, the observed energetic gain should represent the inherent magnitude and upper limit of the CH-π interactions.

We surveyed infection prevention programs in 16 hospitals for hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter acquisition, as well as hospital-associated MRSA bacteremia and Clostridium difficile infection based on defining events as occurring >2 days versus >3 days after admission. The former resulted in significantly higher median rates, ranging from 6.76% to 45.07% higherInfect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;35(11):1417–1420

Objective.To evaluate whether an ecologic inverse association exists between methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) prevalence and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) prevalence in nursing homes.Methods.We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study of S. aureus prevalence in 26 nursing homes across Orange County, California, from 2008–2011. Admission prevalence was assessed using bilateral nares swabs collected from all new residents within 3 days of admission until 100 swabs were obtained. Point prevalence was assessed from a representative sample of 100 residents. Swab samples were plated on 5% sheep blood agar and Spectra MRSA chromogenic agar. If MRSA was detected, no further tests were performed. If MRSA was not detected, blood agar was evaluated for MSSA growth. We evaluated the association between MRSA and MSSA admission and point prevalence using correlation and linear regression testing.Results.We collected 3,806 total swabs. MRSA and MSSA admission prevalence were not correlated (r = −0.40, P = .09). However, MRSA and MSSA point prevalence were negatively correlated regardless of whether MSSA prevalence was measured among all residents sampled (r = −0.67, P = .0002) or among those who did not harbor MRSA (r = −0.41, P = .04). This effect persisted in regression models adjusted for the percentage of residents with diabetes (β = −0.73, P = .04), skin lesions (β = −1.17, P = .002), or invasive devices (β = −1.4, P = .0006).Conclusions.The inverse association between MRSA and MSSA point prevalence and minimal association on admission prevalence suggest MSSA carriage may protect against MRSA acquisition in nursing homes. The minimal association on admission prevalence further suggests competition may occur during nursing home stays.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;35(10):1257–1262

We surveyed administrators at 13 nursing homes in Orange County, CA, on their likelihood to admit methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers and assessed applicant characteristics associated with rejection. In multivariate models, denial of admission was associated with MRSA carriage (odds ratio, 2.7; P =.02) and receiving lower ratings for overall suitability for admission (odds ratio, 5.9; P

We calculated hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HO-MRSA) rates for Orange County, California, hospitals using survey and state data. Numerators were variably defined as HO-MRSA occurring more than 48 hours (37%), more than 2 days (30%), and more than 3 days (33%) postadmission. Survey-reported denominators differed from state-reported patient-days. Numerator and denominator choices substantially impacted HO-MRSA rates.

There is a need for a regional assessment of the frequency and diversity of MRSA to determine major circulating clones and the extent to which community and healthcare MRSA reservoirs have mixed. We conducted a prospective cohort study of inpatients in Orange County, California, systematically collecting clinical MRSA isolates from 30 hospitals, to assess MRSA diversity and distribution. All isolates were characterized by spa typing, with selective PFGE and MLST to relate spa types with major MRSA clones. We collected 2,246 MRSA isolates from hospital inpatients. This translated to 91/10,000 inpatients with MRSA and an Orange County population estimate of MRSA inpatient clinical cultures of 86/100,000 people. spa type genetic diversity was heterogeneous between hospitals, and relatively high overall (72%). USA300 (t008/ST8), USA100 (t002/ST5) and a previously reported USA100 variant (t242/ST5) were the dominant clones across all Orange County hospitals, representing 83% of isolates. Fifteen hospitals isolated more t008 (USA300) isolates than t002/242 (USA100) isolates, and 12 hospitals isolated more t242 isolates than t002 isolates. The majority of isolates were imported into hospitals. Community-based infection control strategies may still be helpful in stemming the influx of traditionally community-associated strains, particularly USA300, into the healthcare setting. © 2013 Hudson et al.

Background MRSA prevalence in nursing homes often exceeds that in hospitals, but reasons for this are not well understood. We sought to measure MRSA burden in a large number of nursing homes and identify facility characteristics associated with high MRSA burden. Methods We performed nasal swabs of residents from 26 nursing homes to measure MRSA importation and point prevalence, and estimate transmission. Using nursing home administrative data, we identified facility characteristics associated with MRSA point prevalence and estimated transmission risk in multivariate models. Results We obtained 1,649 admission and 2,111 point prevalence swabs. Mean MRSA point prevalence was 24%, significantly higher than mean MRSA admission prevalence, 16%, (paired t-test, p