Epidemiology of nosocomial Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections

Abstract

Aims: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is an important problem in many hospitals and Healthcare institutions, as a cause of hospital-acquired infections. Recently, increasing number of infectious outbreaks are declared. The aim of this study is to evaluate the patients who had MRSA infection during their hospitalisation and to emphasize the importance of this infection. Material and methods: The "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)" criteria were used to evaluate the hospital injections at Pamukkale University Hospital. The patients were classified according to sexuality, department, previous antibiotic therapy, diagnosis, catheter existence and type. Findings: The most common nosocomial infection was pneumonia and this infection was followed by surgical site infection, blood stream infection, umbilical infection and urinary tract infection. When all the patients with MRSA related infections were overviewed, peripheral catheter and central catheter placements were present on 127 (%47.4) patients and 92 (%34.3) patients, respectively. Central or peripheral catheter placement was present on 46 (%97.9) of patients who had blood stream infections and 92 (%91.1) of patients who had nosocomial pneumonia. The most frequent MRSA infection was found at Anesthesia Intensive Care Unit (11.4%) followed by Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit (4.8%). Results: The study shows that MRSA is an important infection problem in intensive care units. Review of the infection control practices and appropriate and duly usage of the antibiotics are needed to prevent the spread of MRSA.