title: Antibiotic policy and spread of Staphylococcus aureus strains in Danish hospitals, 1969-1974.
abstract: In the period 1969-1974 a decreasing number of Danish hospital departments recorded epidemic occurrences of Staphylococcus aureus strains, and the local spread of strains was less extensive. Multiple-resistant strains of the 83 A complex were succeeded by type 94 strains, resistant to penicillin only. The level of methicillin resistance fell from 19 to 6%. 12% of methicillin resistant strains are now sensitive to streptomycin and/or tetracyclines; they do not represent a few clones, but belong to a wide spectrum of phage types. The changes follow a reduction in the consumption of streptomycin and tetracyclines not of methicillin or other penicillins. As a contrast to the general reduction of combined resistance to streptomycin and tetracyclines, the strains in dermatological departments, where tetracyclines are commonly used, maintain a high degree of resistance to tetracyclines alone.
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003718:Denmark; D004363:Drug Utilization; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013754:Tetracyclines; D008712:Methicillin; D013307:Streptomycin