Investigation of nosocomial prosthetic valve endocarditis due to antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis.
A reservoir of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains in our cardiac surgery unit appeared to be the source of organisms responsible for three cases of early prosthetic valve endocarditis. Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates recovered from the skin of 13 patients before and after surgery were compared. All were typed by plasmid profile, antimicrobial susceptibility and slime production. The three strains from early prosthetic valve endocarditis resembled the antibiotic-resistant nosocomial strains recovered from the skin of eight patients following surgery and the environment of the operating theatres. These strains expressed resistance to oxacillin, gentamicin, kanamycin and tobramycin and most produced slime, whereas those isolated from the skin of patients at the time of admission were predominantly susceptible to antibiotics and few produced slime.
Microbiology Department, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
R
R
Menzies
D
D
MacCulloch
B
B
Cornere
D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification