An outbreak of post-operative sepsis due to a staphyloccoccal disperser.
A staphylococcal disperser employed as a theatre technician appeared to have been the source of 11 cases of wound sepsis over a period of about 3 years. He was primarily a nasal carrier and after attempts to eradicate Staphylococcus aureus from his nose failed, his skin dispersal was controlled by daily washing with 4% chlorhexidine detergent ('Hibiscrub') and he was allowed to resume his theatre duties under careful bacteriological surveillance. Over the following 2 years 173 dispersal tests showed a mean dispersal of 1 . 7 c.f.u. per 2800 l air compared with a mean of 152 c.f.u. per 2800 l air in the mouth immediately preceding treatment and 55 c.f.u. per 2800 l in the period after cessation of treatment. One case of wound sepsis was attributed to the technician during the 2 years in which he received skin disinfection treatment.
D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009872:Operating Room Technicians; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013752:Tetracycline; D002710:Chlorhexidine