Objective: To estimate prevalence of rectovaginal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus among pregnant women with group B streptococcus (GBS) screening results and its association with maternal and infant outcomes.
Study design: Cultures that detected both group B streptococcus (GBS) and S. aureus were obtained at > or = 35 weeks of gestation. Computerized database search and chart review determined invasive neonatal infection and maternal outcomes at the time of delivery through 6 months postpartum.
Results: A total of 6,626 GBS screening cultures met study criteria, and 769 (11.6%) GBS isolates and 67 (1.0%) S. aureus were identified. No maternal S. aureus-related outcomes were found. The rate of maternal methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization was 0.1% (7 in 6,626). GBS-positive patients were twice as likely to be colonized with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus than GBS-negative patients. GBS-positive culture rates differed significantly by primary language: Spanish 10.0%, English 13.7%, Russian 26.9%, Cantonese 13.2%, Mandarin 11.5%, Arabic 15.9%, and other 17.8%.
Conclusion: In our population, S. aureus colonization percentage (1.0%) was lower than the 7.5-8.2% reported by other medical centers, as was overall GBS carriage rate. S. aureus did not predispose to maternal or infant morbidity or mortality up to 6 months postpartum.