Description of Research: Suzanne Bradley

Dr. Bradley has been interested in the prevention of infectious diseases in older persons, particularly the frail nursing home resident. Finding out why antibiotic-resistant pathogens are so common in the nursing home and how these pathogens emerge and are spread may lead to improved understanding of how to prevent infections with these organisms.
Dr. Bradley has shown that mupirocin is effective in reducing asymptomatic carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in nursing home residents. However, relapse with the same strain is common and prevention of infection has not been proven. Newer studies will assess the efficacy of intermittent mupirocin treatment in preventing recurrent infection and its effect on resistance.
In addition, use of molecular techniques in Dr. Bradley’s laboratory has led to a greater understanding of the natural history of persistent S. aureus carriage in nursing home residents and how this organism might become resistant to mupirocin.
More effective strategies for infection prevention will reduce antibiotic use, limit the emergence of antibiotic resistance, and optimize the use of limited infection control resources in the chronic care setting. To this end, Dr. Bradley has been involved in national trials to prevent influenza and other infections in older adults. She has also been involved in the development of national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infections in older adults.
Dr. Bradley is also the Michigan Principal Investigator for the International Collaboration on Endocarditis (ICE) group. ICE involves more than 40 centers worldwide and has published seminal studies on etiologic agents causing endocarditis and its clinical presentation.

Recent Publications

Fowler VG, Miro JM, Hoen B, Cabell CH, Abrutyn E, Rubinstein E, Corey GR, Spelman D, Bradley S, Barsic B, Pappas P, Anstrom K, Wray D, Fortes C, Anguera I, Athan PJ, Jones P, van der Meer J, Elliott T, Levine DP, Bayer AS, for the ICE Investigators. Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis: A consequence of medical progress. From the International Collaboration on Endocarditis Prospective Cohort Study. JAMA 293:3012-3021, 2005.

Talbot TR, Bradley SF, Cosgrove SE, Ruef C, Siegel JD, Weber DJ. Influenza vaccination of healthcare workers and vaccine allocation for healthcare workers during vaccine shortages. Infect Contr Hosp Epid 26: 882-890, 2005.

Hurdle JG, O’Neill AJ, Mody L, Chopra I, Bradley SF. In vivo transfer of resistance elements from coagulase negative staphylococci to Staphylococcus aureus associated with high-level mupirocin resistance (mupR) and treatment failure. J Antimicrob Chemother 26:1166-1168, 2005.

Mody L, Flannery E, , Bielacyzc A, Bradley SF. Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in two long-term care facilities. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 27:212-214, 2006.

Mody L, Sun R, Bradley SF. Prospective assessment of pneumonia in older adults:
Impact of functional status. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:1062-1067, 2006.

Bradley SF. Eradication or decolonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage: What are we doing and why are we doing it? Clin Infect Dis 44 (2): 186-189, 2007.

Bradley SF. In the footsteps of the Gods: Janus revisited and the pursuit of timeliness. Infect Contr Hosp Epidemiol 28 (4): 373-374, 2007.

Mody L, Maheshwari S, Galecki A, Kauffman CA, Bradley SF. Indwelling device use and antibiotic resistance in nursing homes: Identifying a high-risk group. J Am Geriatr Soc 55 (12): 1921-1926, 2007.

Tsan L, Davis C, Langberg R, Hojlo C, Pierce J, Miller M, Gaynes R, Gibert C, Montgomery O, Bradley S, Richards C, Danko L, Roselle G. Prevalence of nursing home-associated infections in the department of Veterans Affairs nursing home care units. Am J Infect Control 36 (3): 173-179, 2008.

Mody L, Kauffman CA, Donabedian S, Zervos M, Bradley SF. Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in nursing home residents. Clin Infect Dis 46 (9): 1368-1373, 2008.