title: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of mupirocin calcium ointment for eliminating nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus among hospital personnel.
abstract: Sixty-eight health care workers were enrolled in a double-blind clinical trial and randomized to receive either mupirocin calcium ointment or placebo, intranasally bid for 5 days. Nasal cultures were taken immediately before starting treatment, 1 and 2 during treatment, at the end of treatment, 3 days later, weekly for 1-5 weeks and then monthly for 2-6 months after treatment. Mupirocin eliminated nasal carriage with Staphylococcus aureus in 58% of subjects within two days and 86.7% subjects by the end of therapy compared to 9.4% subjects at the end of treatment with placebo (P < 0.001). Post-treatment colonization rates of 43%, 56% and 67% were attained after 1 month, 2-4 and 6 months treatment with mupirocin respectively and recolonisation with the same strain of S. aureus that had been isolated before treatment was noted in 32%, 40% and 48%. No resistance to mupirocin developed and the drug was well tolerated. Mupirocin is safe and effective in suppressing nasal carriage of S. aureus.
authors.affiliation: Preventative Medicine Department, San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torrellas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vindel
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Saez-Nieto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cruzet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguilar
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002353:Carrier State / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016712:Mupirocin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D009824:Ointments; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009824:Ointments; D016712:Mupirocin