MRSA - 'bug-bear' of a surgical practice: reducing the incidence of MRSA surgical site infections

Authors: Guyot, Andrea¹; Layer, Graham²

Source: Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Volume 88, Number 2, March 2006 , pp. 222-223(2)

Publisher: The Royal College of Surgeons of England

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Abstract:

Adverse publicity (the 'superbug') has demonstrated that the problem of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is prevalent in many of the country's most prestigious hospitals. The results of the mandatory UK Department of Health (DH) surveillance for early surgical site infections in orthopaedic surgery (SSIS) have been published recently for the period April 2004 to March 2005 when 41,242 operations were studied (<http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistic> 28 October 2005). Infection rates were generally and gratifyingly low but 48% of surgical site infections were caused by Staph. aureus and of those 68% were MRSA. The following article will discuss the aetiology and prevention of MRSA surgical site infection.

Keywords: MRSA; SURGICAL INFECTIONS; ORTHOPAEDICS; STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1308/003588406X94841

Affiliations: 1: Department of Microbiology, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, UK 2: Department of General Surgery, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, UK

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