Intensive care units as a source of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Over a 12 month period, 209 isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were obtained in 39 patients admitted to an ICU. In 23 patients MRSA was the major pathogen, producing either pneumonia, bacteremia or wound infection. In eight patients death was directly related to the MRSA infection. This study suggests an increasing occurrence of MRSA infections in ICU and the need to adopt control measures.
Corticelli
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AS
Istituto di Anestesiologia e Rianimazione, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Italy.
Di Nino
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GF
Gatti
M
M
Melotti
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RM
Petrini
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F
Pigna
A
A
Pirazzini
M
M
Rossi
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R
Varoli
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
D008712:Methicillin