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Epidemie of hospital‐acquired infection due to methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in major Victorian hospitals
Author(s) -
Pavillard Robin,
Harvey Ken,
Douglas David,
Hewstone Arthur,
Andrew John,
Collopy Brian,
Asche Valerie,
Carson Peter,
Davidson Alistair,
Gilbert Gwendolyn,
Spicer John,
Tosolini Fred
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1982.tb132413.x
Subject(s) - fusidic acid , vancomycin , medicine , staphylococcus aureus , gentamicin , antibiotics , rifampicin , sepsis , staphylococcal infections , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , microbiology and biotechnology , linezolid , intensive care medicine , biology , bacteria , genetics
During 1979, the Victorian Health Commission received reports of a rising proportion of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from an increasing number of institutions. At least 31 metropolitan hospitals were involved, and six of these reported MRSA totalling between 20% and 40% of all Staph, aureus isolates. Since that time, the problem has continued. In some university teaching hospitals, strains of MRSA now cause from 200 to 300 new cases of hospital‐acquired infection each year. Sepsis occurs mainly in patients who underwent surgery, premature neonates and in the immunocompromised or debilitated patients. The organism involved is multiresistant. Recent isolates show increasing resistance, particularly against gentamicin, chloramphenicol and, more lately, fusidic acid and rifampicin. Only vancomycin can be relied upon for empirical treatment. There is concern that increasing use of vancomycin will select vancomycin‐resistant strains of MRSA, so that, in the near future, there may no longer be any effective antibiotic therapy against hospital staphylococci.